Congestion in schools blamed for disease outbreaks

Homa Bay, Friday April 21, 2023

K.N.A By Davis Langat

Homa Bay County Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (Kessha) Chairman Dickens Bula has pointed out that congestion in schools had contributed to disease outbreaks.

Mr  Bula linked the increasing spread of waterborne diseases amongst students to shortage of accommodation and sanitary facilities at the institutions. 

He said many schools host thousands of students who share limited resources making them vulnerable to disease outbreaks. 

The Chairman who is also the Principal of Orero Boys High School said the prevailing situation in majority of schools compromise the standards of hygiene especially when many students have to share toilets.

Speaking during a mentorship programme at Gendia Boys High School, Bula said delayed funding to schools also affected the levels of sanitation in the institutions.

 Bula said such challenges could have contributed to the recently reported hospitalisation and deaths of students in some schools.

 The Kessha chairman told parents and guardians to monitor their children especially what they eat, where they sleep and the activities they engage in at school.

 “Sanitation shouldn’t be left to school management alone. It’s important for all education stakeholders to play their roles to overcome the challenges,” he added. 

Bula said cases of disease outbreaks are an eye opener to education stakeholders and the institutions which are still struggling with hygiene challenges. 

His counterpart from Gendia Boys High School James Okeno told health professionals to move fast and take remedial measures whenever danger is detected.

 He said school based health care providers should move swiftly to conduct first aid to students whenever they fall sick before they are taken to hospital.

“Complicated cases should be transferred to referral facilities without delay,” Okeno recommended.

Homa Bay county woman representative Bensouda Osogo has embarked on distributing water tanks to schools in the county to address hygiene challenges in the institutions.

 Schools which benefit use the tanks to harvest rain water. 

The Woman representative has also been distributing sanitary pads to school girls in a bid to improve hygiene in learning institutions.

Diseases such as cholera, dysentery and rotavirus are linked to poor sanitation.

Courtesy K.N.A