The Ministry of health (MoH) has issued an advisory to all learning institutions on potential health risks that may arise due to heavy rains and flooding as schools reopened for the second term of the 2024 academic year.
According to the Principal Secretary (PS) for public health and professional standards, Mary Muthoni, all relevant offices including school administrators and management boards should take urgent and necessary precautions in order to protect the health and safety of all learners.
“Since floods can potentially increase the transmission of waterborne and vector-borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, malaria among others, it is important that school management knows the potential risk factors within their respective school setting and initiate remedial measures.” said the PS adding that “floods can have significant and drastic impact on the quality of education and health for learners.”
MoH advised that key measures and precautions to be undertaken by schools in order to protect the health of learners include; Ensuring there are properly labelled evacuation routes and warning signals, ensuring water is treated using chlorine or boiled before use, ensuring proper hygiene practices such as mandatory washing of hands with soap and running water is observed.
The advisory prohibits students from walking or playing in flood waters. With schools advised to ensure that all sanitary facilities are in good condition for use, ensuring students wear long sleeved shirts and trousers as well as sleeping under treated mosquito nets.
The PS also urged learning institutions to observe proper food storage to avoid contamination, medically examining school cooks and vaccinate them.
She further urged school s to monitor any abnormal diseases and report immediately to the nearest health facilities.
On the other hand, Public Health departments from both levels of the government have been instructed to assist schools by carrying out routine hygienic inspections, evaluating water quality and promptly responding to health issues raised by learning institutions.
The PS further added that the advisory served as part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the adverse effects of floods and providing safe learning environment for students despite adverse weather conditions.
