Racing against the spread of COVID-19
Across Indonesia, communities are stepping up to protect themselves from the pandemic
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By 9am, Pak Ucup and his team are almost out the door, personal protective gear (PPE) on, spraying equipment in hand and ready to disinfect the local health centre.
Pak Ucup and his 12 colleagues disinfect around five public spaces every day – including hospitals, health centres, mosques, government buildings and markets. Before the pandemic, the team ‘fogged’ in communities to stop the spread of the dengue mosquito.
“This [disinfection] activity supports our services and helps to prevent COVID-19 transmission in our facility,” said Emi, a midwife at the health centre.
By improving virus prevention and control, the disinfecting helps to reduce hospital-acquired infections. A collaboration between UNICEF and the local government saw sanitising efforts sweep through 48 health care facilities in one week – and included 27 secondary health centres and 21 village health posts that had never been sanitised before. But this is far from enough. UNICEF must keep up its work to stem the spread of COVID-19 – and we will, with help from supporters like you. No mother or child should suffer illness because of a lack of hygiene. Can UNICEF count on your support to help prevent this?
Pak Ucup admits that at first, his team was fearful as many of them didn’t have the proper PPE. But bravely, they pressed on.
“Some would not go home and would instead sleep at the office if they had sprayed the house of a person who was COVID-19 positive,” he explained. “Others would go home but wouldn’t go inside and slept on the terrace.”
Since then, Pak Ucup and his team have received proper PPE and continue to spray public spaces – a critical service in mitigating the spread of the pandemic.
Far from Pak Ucup, seven-year-old Gina has learned that washing her hands with soap is a key step in avoiding COVID-19 infection. It’s thanks to a dedicated village volunteer, Ibu Pat, that young Gina is aware of these important practices.
A volunteer since 2013, Ibu Pat is well-known in her community for her tenacity. This month, she’s helping to distribute soap to residents in her village and showing them the right way to wash their hands. It’s part of her local government’s COVID-19 response – and is supported by UNICEF.
But it hasn’t always been easy. “Community members would reject me, sometimes even saying harsh words to me,” she recalls. “The biggest challenge is dealing with the stubbornness of community members.”
But this hasn’t stopped Ibu Pat from doing her job. When she helps children like Gina and her family to keep healthy, it brings joy to her heart.
Gina’s mother hopes that the pandemic will soon end so they will be able to leave the house again to earn additional income. Gina just wants life to get back to normal, so she can play with friends again.
Ibu Pat and volunteers like her are part of relentless efforts to fight COVID-19, work that unites the government, UNICEF – and through your donation today, people like you.
Pak Ucup and Ibu Pat are two examples of how community members are actively helping to control the pandemic. They may be afraid, but they take extra precautions to stay safe and protect their loved ones. They wake up every day with a sense of purpose – and UNICEF is with them on the frontlines, helping Indonesia’s children and families to avoid being contaminated by COVID-19. Please join us by donating here to act for child health.