With over 10 million confirmed cases of COVID- 19 worldwide as of June 30, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing. As the virus continues to spread throughout our communities and our world, the need for clean water grows more and more apparent in all of our lives.
Numerous health officials from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have said that frequent hand washing is one of the best ways to protect against COVID. Guidelines recommend washing with soap and clean water for at least 20 seconds after coming in contact with others, before eating, and in a variety of other instances.
785 million people around the world do not have access to clean water, which prevents them from cleaning their hands properly. Without this basic need, these millions of people are unable to complete this potentially lifesaving task.
Along with that, many people around the world, including some we serve, do not know how to properly wash their hands or do not do it as often as recommended or needed to maintain health. Based on information from the CDC, only 1 in 5 people wash their hands after using the toilet. That statistic is probably even worse when discussing washing hands before eating food or after coming in contact with someone else.
Beyond hygiene and sanitation, clean water is essential to good overall health. Health officials say individuals with preexisting conditions are at a much higher risk of infection and serious health consequences than those without.
People without access to clean, safe drinking water often have a myriad of health problems including cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio. Health problems lead to a reduced ability to fight off other diseases or illnesses such as COVID. These water-borne illnesses are all preventable issues, dependent on clean water.
Cases of COVID-19 are rising quickly in many of the places The Bucket Ministry serves including Mexico, Nepal, Brazil, Kenya and Uganda. Our teams, both in the U.S. and in each country we serve, are working to provide filters and other important items like soap and food to the communities we serve.
Our Honduras team recently distributed filters, food and clothing to a remote village. Our team in the Kibera slums in Nairobi, Kenya, is distributing soap and teaching proper hand washing while conducting follow-up visits.
These are just two of the ways The Bucket Ministry is working to combat the World Water Crisis during the COVID pandemic. We are all affected by this virus, but some lack the resources to combat it in the recommended ways.
Want to help? Visit https://thebucketministry.org/get-involved/ or email [email protected] to be part of this lifesaving work.
by Emma Aly
Click here to read about the work our team is doing in Honduras during the COVID-19 pandemic.
