Luckily, together with the government, in 2015 UNICEF mapped every residential care facility in the country and knew where each one was. Our supply team quickly procured hygiene supplies; we have already distributed more than 35,000 soaps and sanitisers to care facilities, and more are on the way.
UNICEF teams noted that hygiene practices have improved in orphanages and that the temperatures of children and staff were being measured regularly. Informative posters on risk prevention and hand washing, developed in partnership with the government and other stakeholders have been distributed to educate caregivers and children.
These posters are now displayed throughout the country, a sign of the clear, coordinated messaging that can be achieved with excellent teamwork across all organisations. With the pandemic showing few signs of abating, UNICEF has moved towards adequately preparing a frontline workforce that can respond at the local level.
In collaboration with the government and partners, such as Save the Children and Family Care First | React, we developed case management guidelines to be followed during COVID-19. Case management is a critical child protection response in any situation, but how do we do this in times of social distancing?
The guidelines provide guidance on case prioritisation, when to do in-person visits versus remote management, new referral processes for COVID-19, and most importantly how to ensure that social workers themselves take care not to inadvertently transmit the virus or become infected while working.