Gov’t Issues 12 Safety Directives to Schools Amid Flood-Related Health Risks

Gov’t Issues 12 Safety Directives to Schools Amid Flood-Related Health Risks

The Ministry of Health has warned of possible outbreaks of waterborne diseases and other infections in schools following the recent floods experienced in most parts of the country.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry, through Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muriuki, directed school management and health departments to take safety measures to ensure learners are protected.

PS Muthoni explained that the recent floods, which saw the destruction of sanitation infrastructures in most schools, could lead to contamination of water bodies near institutions or contamination of water storage facilities through sewage and submerged toilets.

She advised school management to be on the lookout for diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera, malaria, yellow fever, chikungunya, and dengue fever among others.

The PS emphasized that floods result in the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructures, negatively impacting schools as a result of coming into contact with contaminated water, which increases the prevalence of water-related diseases and sometimes leads to outbreaks of infectious diseases within school communities.

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Since floods can potentially increase the transmission of water-borne and vector-borne diseases, such as typhoid fever, cholera, malaria, yellow fever, chikungunya, and dengue fever among others, it is important that school management be aware of the possible risk factors within their school settings and take appropriate remedial measures.

Muthoni added that water sources must be protected, kept safe, and accessible to all students and teachers.

The most common risks associated with flooding include the contamination of drinking-water facilities and stagnant water, which can be breeding sites for mosquitoes.

12 Safety Directives to Schools

To ensure the safety of pupils in schools, the Principal Secretary issued the following directives to management:

1. All schools must have an evacuation route and warning signals, identifying areas prone to floods or landslides within their school or nearby areas.

2. All water used for drinking, cooking, bathing, brushing teeth, and washing utensils must be safe and treated with chlorine or boiled.

3. Promote good hygiene practices and safe food preparation techniques. Students must always wash their hands with soap and avoid swimming in flood water.

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4. Students should not be allowed to walk through flooded areas and standing water.

5. Pupils must not eat food contaminated with flood water.

6. All pupils in mosquito-prone areas should wear trousers and long-sleeved shirts and cover beds with mosquito nets.

7. All toilets and bathrooms must be in a good state. Toilets affected by floods should be closed with a sign indicating they are closed.

8. School management must cut overgrown grass in the school compound and surroundings to minimize mosquitoes, rodents, and snakes breeding or hiding.

9. Students should be protected against adverse weather by ensuring all windows and doors are working and can be closed and opened.

10. The school administration must ensure food is well stored and kept away from moisture and rodents.

11. All cooks must be medically examined and vaccinated appropriately.

The school administration should be on high alert for any abnormal disease outbreak within the school community. In case of any disease, the nearest catchment facility should be notified.

 Sanitary school inspections

At the same time, the Public Health Department at both levels of government has been urged to support the school administration and boards in ensuring the safety of the pupils by regularly carrying out sanitary school inspections, ascertaining that the sanitation situation of schools is acceptable, and taking remedial measures where appropriate.

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The department should also carry out regular water quality testing for both free chlorine residue and E. coli, assist in disinfecting, and respond promptly to any notification from schools about health conditions among school communities.

Additionally, the PS asked health personnel to ensure food is hygienically prepared and served, and that hand washing with soap is always practised, adding that there should be no overcrowding in dormitories.

Gov’t Issues 12 Safety Directives to Schools Amid Flood-Related Health Risks

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