Gov’t launches policy documents to strengthen hygiene, sanitation

The Ministry of health has launched three Menstrual Hygiene management documents and urban sanitation guidelines to strengthen hygiene and sanitation in the country.

The documents which include Hygiene Promotion in Schools, Menstrual Hygiene Management in Schools, and the Kenya National Guidelines for Implementation of Urban Sanitation were launched by Health CAS, Dr. Mercy Mwangangi on behalf of Health CS Mutahi Kagwe.

“These guidelines will ensure that development plans for urban areas have in-built sanitation components and the sanitation systems are designed and managed safely to protect human health from microbial hazards caused by human excreta & consequent adverse health outcomes,” she said.

She noted that with support from WASH partners, the Ministry of Health has developed several policy documents and strategies to provide a framework for the implementation of Sanitation and Hygiene interventions.

These policies set priorities, allocate resources for implementation, and are reflected in laws and regulations.

In addition these policy documents provide robust details that will not only enable all Kenyans to enjoy their right to the highest attainable standards of sanitation but also to a clean and healthy environment as guaranteed by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the Vision 2030.

The documents include the Revised Kenya Environmental Sanitation & hygiene bill; Hygiene Policy, Kenya Environmental Sanitation & Hygiene Strategic Framework, rolled out National ODF 2020 Campaign Road map (being revised now), Prototype environmental Sanitation bill among others.

“Sanitation & hygiene contribute greatly to better health. Although Covid-19 has tested our healthcare practices, we have witnessed a reduction in diseases following an increase in good sanitation practice around the country through proper hand washing & sanitizing,” she noted.

Dr. Mwangangi said Kenya is one of 26 countries in the world responsible for 90% of open defecation according to a 2017 UNICEF report. The goal of SDG 6 and the targets of the WASH SDGs call for access to safe and sustainable WASH for everyone by 2030.

The Ministry of Health through the WASH Division, Department of Public Health has continuously sensitized, built the capacity of officers, and also spearheaded the development of WASH activities.

The Ministry continues to provide an enabling environment in WASH & is currently reviewing its rural sanitation protocols & strategies including, the rural sanitation & hygiene protocol, its implementation guidelines & Monitoring framework, the Sanitation & Hygiene Roadmap.

Also on upgrade is the real-time monitoring system as a timely tool for monitoring of sanitation & hygiene indicators as aligned with the SDG 6.2, Joint Monitoring program, Global Analysis, Assessment Statistics for Sanitation & the new Rural Sanitation & Hygiene Protocol.