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Kibera slum in Nairobi. Keeping COVID-19 transmission rates low in Kenya\u2019s crowded slums presented a significant challenge.<\/p><\/div>\n
Globally, around 1 billion people live in urban slums. Slum communities face overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, leading to a high risk of disease transmission. Sub-Saharan Africa has a large urban slum population and thus faced significant risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. With millions of urban slum residents, Kenya was a country\u00a0of concern. Urban slums in cities such as Nairobi and Nakuru are cramped, with a high population density, multi-generational households, shared sanitation facilities, and high levels social mixing. Unsanitary conditions and widespread poverty has led to poor health outcomes for\u00a0the countries\u00a0slum population, who face a significantly higher mortality rate than the rest of the urban population.<\/p>\n
Most of Kenya\u2019s slum inhabitants rely on informal employment. To ensure a reliable source of income for themselves and their families, many slum residents are unable to give up work, despite facing increased risk of infection. While lockdowns across the globe aimed to restrict human interaction to reduce Covid transmission, such measures were impossible in Kenya\u2019s slums.<\/p>\n
To prevent Kenya\u2019s slums from becoming a disease hotspot, a more tailored mitigation approach was needed. Funded by the\u00a0Global Challenges Research Fund<\/a>, in 2020, a cross-disciplinary team of researchers, including colleagues from the School of Medical Sciences and the Department of Geography, set out to improve Covid outcomes in Kenya\u2019s slums. During a time where little international work was taking place, the pandemic presented an important but challenging time for research.<\/p>\n Unlike previous studies, The University of Manchester\u2019s project aimed not just to identify local knowledge and attitudes surrounding Covid, but implement an effective public health campaign. Working in three main slums in Nairobi (Kibera), Nakuru (Rhoda), and Kisii, to assess project impact, researchers conducted knowledge surveys through questionnaires before and after Covid health measures had taken place. In addition to distributing free cloth masks, researchers organised awareness campaigns through leaflets and local media to inform residents on how to reduce disease transmission. Local community leaders were identified to ensure maximum reach within the population. Throughout the study, Geographical Information System (GIS) technology was used to inform the distribution of the questionnaires and health campaigns, emphasising the importance of cross-disciplinary approaches to healthcare.<\/p>\n \u201cThe role of informal settlements in Africa is important in planning for future epidemics and special attention and policy interventions are needed to address the specific needs of people living in these environments\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Professor Mahesh Nirmalan, Vice Dean for Social Responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n In a challenging time and setting, a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from Manchester were able to conduct a vital health intervention in extremely deprived community, reducing healthcare inequalities at a local scale. The project has recently entered completion. Keep an eye out for the research paper in the coming months.<\/p>\n Find out more:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_post_nav _builder_version=”3.0.106″ in_same_term=”off” show_prev=”on” show_next=”on” prev_text=”Previous” next_text=”Next” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” \/][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”3.0.106″ show_avatar=”on” show_reply=”on” show_count=”on” background_layout=”light” header_font_size_tablet=”51″ header_line_height_tablet=”2″ custom_button=”on” button_icon_placement=”right” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_use_icon=”off” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” \/][et_pb_text admin_label=”Related posts” _builder_version=”3.0.106″ background_layout=”light” locked=”on” parent_locked=”off”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”3.0.106″ area=”sidebar-1″ orientation=”left” show_border=”off” background_layout=”light” locked=”on” \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Connect Title” module_class=”footer-section” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ background_color=”#1d1d1d” custom_padding=”0px||0px|” prev_background_color=”#ffffff” global_module=”380″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” global_parent=”380″ parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” parallax_method_3=”off” module_id=”footer-row” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ locked=”off”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us Title” global_parent=”380″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Contact Us” global_parent=”380″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” background_layout=”dark”]<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Social Responsibility Public Engagement Digest<\/span>: https:\/\/www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk\/connect\/social-responsibility\/contact\/<\/a><\/p>\n The Faculty Website<\/span>: https:\/\/www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk\/connect\/social-responsibility\/public-patients\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n
Related<\/h1>\n
Related posts:<\/h3>
Improving Maternal and Child Health Through New Discoveries and Research<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
Stepping up healthcare in Kenya<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
Bugs 'n Drugs: An International Student Competition Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
Further information<\/span><\/h4>\n