Home Health CWA lobby stakeholders to priorotize children’s interests amid Covid-19

CWA lobby stakeholders to priorotize children’s interests amid Covid-19

by BustopTV

By Tafadzwa Chigandiwa

Civic society organisation, Community Water Alliance (CWA), has petitioned all stakeholders across the country to prioritise and urgently intervene to a recently huge rise of student’s numbers that have contracted coronavirus in schools before writing if examinations.

In their statement, CWA expressed their plea and challenged all stakeholders to put the child’s best interest first. This is in line with section 81(2) of Zimbabwe’s constitution which states that children’s best interest is paramount in all matters concerning children supported by the international principle.

CWA described that this follows various media reports on the school’s lack of Protective Personal Equipment ( PPEs) exposing students to the novel.

“Community Water Alliance implores all stakeholders to prioritize emergency COVID19 Prevention interventions in schools. This call comes after media reports on sizeable numbers of COVID-19 cases within schools.

“In line with the best interests of the child principle, which is both an international principle and a constitutional principle contained on Section 81(2) of the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe, Community Water Alliance calls for an urgent intervention on schools before writing of exams,” reads their statement.

CWA also advised stakeholders to immediately act on fumigating of classroms, regular wash of hands and proper wearing of face masks and encouragement of sanitising, before writing of exams that are set for next month.

“Community Water Alliance calls for an urgent intervention on schools before writing of exams. We suggest that interventions should deal with fogging, application of disinfectants, regular handwashing with soap, sanitizing, proper wearing of masks as well as behavior change interventions. Both hardware and software interventions can save the future of our children against COVID19 Pandemic,” CWA information department said.

Through their hashtag, #CreatingCovid19SafeSpaceforChildren, the Community Water Alliance, advised organisations to take use of the AnoCare product that was produced by Mayin Waters (MW), a company that promotes water sanitation and hygiene both in Zimbabwe and Southern African Development Community (SADC).

“We recommend assessment and use of the AnoCare product produced by Mayin Waters, as a disinfectant within schools before writing of exams. The AnoCare product has proved effective and efficient without damage to the environment.Exploring use of the product may be a worthwhile venture for stakeholders,” they said.

John Tallach one of government’s schools, in Ntabazinduna, initially suspended schools for 2 weeks this week (Monday) following 100 pupil tested positive of the lethal Corona virus and 73 reported to have mild symptoms while 27 are said to be asymptomatic.

Government is have been challenged by legislators who are advocating for the closure of schools to avoid a wide spread of the Corona virus pandemic.

The Members of Parliament argue that lack of enough PPEs and inappropriate preparedness during the opening of schools amid the pandemic accelerated to the spread of coronavirus.

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