COVID-19:Cleaning and Disinfection for Community Facilities

Interim Recommendations for U.S. Community Facilities with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

There is much to learn about the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on what is currently known about the virus and about similar coronaviruses that cause SARS and MERS, spread from person-to-person happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets, but disease transmission via infectious aerosols is currently uncertain. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Transmission of coronavirus in general occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through fomites. Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in community settings.

It is unknown how long the air inside a room occupied by someone with confirmed COVID-19 remains potentially infectious. Facilities will need to consider factors such as the size of the room and the ventilation system design (including flowrate [air changes per hour] and location of supply and exhaust vents) when deciding how long to close off rooms or areas used by ill persons before beginning disinfection. Taking measures to improve ventilation in an area or room where someone was ill or suspected to be ill with COVID-19 will help shorten the time it takes respiratory droplets to be removed from the air.

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Sanitary pads and panties: Rohingya women working to help others

Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh - In the world's largest refugee camp, dozens of Rohingya women work diligently, their small factory a hub of activity; they're making sanitary pads and women's underwear to be distributed to Rohingya refugee women like them.

The one-room factory near Kutupalong refugee camp is buzzing, the quiet chatter of conversation barely discernible over whirring sewing machines set up in rows. Workers crouch on the floor, drawing patterns with white chalk on black fabric stretched down the middle of the room.

Others cut fabric, sew and iron sanitary napkins.

"It's very much needed for the women," Hasina Begum, the factory's supervisor told Al Jazeera, referring to the washable and reusable napkins.

"If they do not use them and rely instead on dirty cloths, they will fall sick."

The 40-year-old, who is from Cox's Bazar, said before the production, Rohingya women were afflicted with a number of diseases including leukorrhea, gonorrhoea and other vaginal infections.

"We are distributing these products to women and also instructing them on how to use them," she said.

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A day in the life of a kitchen cloth

Woke up this morning feeling like a little dry cloth, but soon enough they soaked me in dirty water when they cleaned the sink – all that washing up left overnight. It was so greasy but my cloth fabric picks up the dirt so well. Sink looks great now, but what about me? They chucked me in the corner all scrunched up so those pesky bacteria are growing away and making me smell horrible.

They leave me in peace until someone comes in to make coffee which they spill on the floor – they grab me and wipe up the mess – adding even more muck on my once lovely blue fabric. The floor is very dirty anyway, and now it is all over me!

Again, chucked in the corner of the sink, and left to fester – even more bacteria now, millions of them breeding like crazy – makes me feel quite sick! One of the family comes in to make a chicken burger for lunch – puts the raw chicken on the worktop and does the prep – then uses me to wipe up! Don’t they realise that there may be Campylobacter in the mix now?

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दूध स्वच्छताका लागि नयाँ मापदण्ड

काठमाडौं - न्यून गुणस्तरको दूध बिक्री गरेर उपभोक्ता ठगिएको गुनासो आएपछि सरकारले दूधको नयाँ मापदण्ड तयार गरेको छ। दूध उत्पादनदेखि बिक्रीसम्म व्यवस्थित बनाउन दूध तथा दुग्ध पदार्थमा स्वच्छता एवं गुणस्तर सम्बन्धी निर्देशिका, २०७५ तयार गरेको हो।

खाद्य प्रविधि तथा गुण नियन्त्रण विभागले निर्देशिकाको मस्यौदा तयार गरेर कृषि तथा पशुपक्षी मन्त्रालयमा पेस गरेको छ । उत्पादनदेखि उपभोक्तासम्म दूधको मापदण्ड तोकेर सुधारको प्रयास सुरु गरेको विभागका महानिर्देशक सञ्जिवकुमार कर्णले बताए । ‘किसानदेखि बिक्रेतासम्म सबैको दायित्व तोकेका छौं,’ कर्णले भने, ‘निर्देशिका पास भएर कार्यान्वयनमा आएपछि दूध बजार व्यवस्थित हुन्छ।’केही समयअघि दूध बजारको अनुगमन गरेपछि कृषि तथा पशुपक्षी मन्त्री चक्रपाणि खनालले यो क्षेत्र सुधार गर्ने प्रतिबद्धता जनाएका थिए । मन्त्रीको निर्देशन अनुसार नयाँ निर्देशिका तयार गरेको महानिर्देशक कर्णले बताए । ‘दूध उद्योगलाई व्यवस्थित गर्ने योजना हो,’ कर्णले भने, ‘गुणस्तरीय दूध उपभोग गर्न पाउने उपभोक्ताको अधिकार पनि निर्देशिकाले सुरक्षित गरेको छ ।’  विभागले दूधलाई मात्र लक्ष्य गरेर पहिलोपटक निर्देशिका जारी गर्न लागेको हो।

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समाजसँग राधाको विद्रोह : रजस्वाला हुँदा आमाको मृत्यु संस्कार

हिन्दु संस्कारअनुसार महिलाहरूका लागि तीजको जति महत्व छ । त्यतिनै महत्व ऋषिपञ्चमीको पनि छ । महिलाको रजस्वलासित जोडिएको ऋषि पञ्चमीका विषयमा एउटा किंवदन्ती प्रचलित छ । प्राचीन समयमा इन्द्रले विश्वरूपको शिरलाई तीन टुक्रा पारी हत्या गरेका कारण ब्रह्महत्याको पाप भोग्नुपर्यो ।

यस हत्याबाट पिरोलिएका इन्द्रले आफ्नो दुःख ब्रह्मालाई सुनाए । इन्द्रको ब्रह्महत्या निवारणका लागि ब्रह्माले एक वर्षसम्मको दोष इन्द्रलाई भोग गराई बाँकी दोष पृथ्वी, वृक्ष, जल र स्त्रीमा चार भाग लगाई चारैतिर फ्याँकिदिए । त्यसैले यो अशुद्ध हो र यसलाई अलग्गै राखिनु पर्छ भनियो । पौराणिक कथनअनुसार नारीहरू रजस्वला हुँदा जानेर वा नजानेर गरिएका जति पनि पापहरू छन्, तीबाट मुक्ति हुनका लागि व्रत गर्ने र सप्तऋषिको पूजाअर्चना गर्ने चलन छ । ऋषि पञ्चमीको पूजा गर्दा पढिने पाठमा पनि भनिएको छ, महिनावारी हुँदा भएका छोइछाई अनि पापले गर्दा मोक्ष प्राप्त नहुने र उक्त पाप पखाल्नुपर्ने । अपत्यारिला अनि महिलाविरुद्धमा उल्लेखित यस्ता लाइनहरूले गर्दा यो प्रथा झनै जटिल बन्दै गएको पाइन्छ । पुराणमा लेखेको कुरा महिलाहरूले नमानुन् पनि कसरी जो धर्मसँग यसरी बाँधिएका छन् । मानौँ त आफूविरुद्धको अपराध । 

यस दिन व्रतालु महिलाहरूले नदी, ताल, पोखरीलगायतका जलाशयमा ३ सय ६५ वटा दतिवनले दाँत माझेर, तील, चोखो माटो र गोबर लगाई स्नान गर्ने (विशेष गरेर यौनाङ्ग चोख्याउने) र सप्तऋषिको पूजा गर्ने चलन छ ।  मानव सृष्टि नारीविना सम्भव छैन र सृष्टिको प्रथम र पुण्य गुण नै नारीहरूको महिनावारी हो । रजस्वाला नारीहरूको गर्भाधान गर्नसक्ने क्षमताको प्रतीक नितान्त प्राकृतिक प्रक्रिया हो । जब पाठेघर परिपक्व भएर गर्भाधानका लागि तयार हुन्छ र गर्भाधान गर्न नपाएको खण्डमा पाठेघरको भित्री तह (डिम्बहरू) निष्काशित हुने सरल र सामान्य प्रक्रिया नै रजस्वाला हो । यो कुनै दोष होइन बरु एउटा विशेष क्षमता र सृष्टिको कारक हो । 

सामान्य अर्थमा बुझ्दा सती प्रथाका नाममा जिउँदै चितामा जलेर आफ्नो देह भष्म गर्नुपर्ने बाध्यताबाट नेपाली महिलाहरूले उन्मुक्ति पाए पनि महिला हिंसाको अर्को रूप छाउपडी प्रथा (महिनावारी बार्ने) हो । यही प्रथाको उन्मूलन गर्नकै लागि विगत लामो समयदेखि सक्रिय छिन् सामाजिक अभियान्ता राधा पौडेल ।

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11 key lessons about water, sanitation and hygiene in schools

When children have access to safe water, toilets and soap for handwashing at school, they have a better environment to study, to learn and to realize their full potential.

When schools have safe water, toilets and soap for handwashing, children have a healthy learning environment, and girls are more likely to attend when they are on their period.

Children who learn about safe water, sanitation and hygiene habits at school can reinforce positive life-long behaviours in their homes and their communities. However, millions of children go to school every day in unsafe learning environments, with no drinking water, no proper toilets, and no soap for washing their hands.

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यसकारण राख्नु हुँदैन फ्रिजमा अण्डा

काठमाडौं : भान्सामा प्रयोग हुने महत्वपूर्ण सामग्री हो, फ्रिज। यसले खानेकुरालाई लामो समयसम्म ताजा राख्नमा सहयोग गर्छ। सजिलो र चाहेको बेला खाना खान सजिलो हुने भएकाले एकपटक पकाएको खाना पछिसम्मका लागि पनि फ्रिजमा राख्ने गरिन्छ। फ्रिजले खानालाई  फ्रेस राख्ने भएकाले यसको प्रयोग गरिँदै आएको हो। तर सबै खाने कुरा फ्रिजमा राख्दा फ्रेस हुन्छ भन्ने छैन।

यस्तै खानेकुरामा पर्छ अण्डा। पकाउन सजिलो र प्रोटिनको मात्रा प्रशस्त हुने भएकाले अण्डा सबैको रोजाइमा पर्छ। स्वास्थ्यलाई फाइदाजनक मानिने अण्डा फ्रिजमा राख्दा यसलै उल्टै वेफाइदा गर्छ। अण्डालाई फ्रिजमाभन्दा कोठाको तापक्रममा राख्दा राम्रो हुन्छ। कतिपयले थाहा नपाएरै अण्डालाई फ्रेस राख्नका लागि फ्रिजमा राख्ने गर्छन्। तर यसो गर्नु राम्रो होइन। फ्रिजमा राखिएका अण्डाले फाइदाभन्दा वेफाइदा बढी गर्छ। फ्रिजमा अण्डा राख्दा यसको रङ र स्वादमा समेत फरकपन आउँछ। फ्रिजको सामान्य तापमानमा राखिएको अण्डामा कन्डेन्सेसन 'condensation' ग्यासबाट लिक्वीड बन्ने प्रकिया हुन्छ। जसले गर्दा कन्डेन्सेसनबाट अण्डाको बोक्रामा रहेको ब्याक्टेरिया चलायमान हुन्छन्। यसरी उत्पन्न भएका ब्याक्टेरिया अण्डाको भित्री भागसम्म पस्न सक्ने सम्भावना पनि त्यत्तिकै हुन्छ । जुन स्वास्थ्यका लागि फाइदाजनक हुँदैन ।  यस्तो अण्डा खाँदा पेट दुख्ने, पखाला लाग्ने मात्र नभइ यसले ठूलै रोगको मुखमै पुर्याउन सक्छ।

Sanitation and Hygiene Expert-CARE Nepal (Based on Kathmandu)

[Vacancy]
Key responsibilities: 
The Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist is responsible for supporting design and implementation of hygiene and health promotion activities in conjuction with Earthquake Response and Recovery program team, the Consortium members and CARE’s implementing partners. S/he works under close supervision of WASH team leader to plan, implement and monitor the delivery of hygiene and health promotion activities in the earthquake affected communities of the project districts. 

Preferred Qualifications and Experience: 
Master’s degree in Civil/Sanitation/Water Engineering, Public Health, Environment or other related field with at least 3 years of experience in planning and implementing community based hygiene promotion activities and social behavior change communication preferably in development sector. 

Interested candidates are encouraged to obtain the detailed Job description from our website at www.carenepal.org and fill the Online Application Form. The last date for submitting the application is 17:00hrs, 17 July 2018. In addition to the Online Application form, please send an application and a recent CV to apply@care.org 

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Why Are Indian Kids Smaller Than African kids? Hint: It’s Not Race

By Sanjay Wijesekera

5 month old Manish, at a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre, Guna, Madhya Pradesh. In 2013 when this picture was taken, Madhya Pradesh alone had 5% of all open defecators in the world, and 50% of children under 3 were stunted.

A story on the high incidence of malnutrition among children in India reminded us of a curious phenomenon that for years had puzzled development and health professionals. Despite India’s growing economic power and successive governments who paid serious attention to increasing food supply, children in that country remained smaller than those in less well-off countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

It took years of research and large-scale case studies - some of which were published by UNICEF, USAID and WHO in Improving Nutrition Outcomes with Better Water, Sanitation and Hygiene - to pin it down. There is a very widespread lack of adequate and diverse food intake among young children, which needs to be addressed, in both India and poor countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in India there is an additional and unexpected villain in the piece: a lack of toilets.

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काठमाडौंको पानीमा कोलिफोर्म

Toilet-Ek Prem Katha

"Sanitation if More Importance than Independence. " said by Mahatma Gandhi
......
"If you will change nothing, nothing will change you." wow. 
Yes, we can change the health and hygiene of billions with the simple sanitation solution i.e. TOILET.
....

It's time to be a part of Keshav and Jaya's anokhi love story! Presenting the trailer of Toilet- Ek Prem Katha. 

Catch the movie in theatres on 11th August, 2017.

Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym4EJQ7XORk

“We don’t talk about it at all !” The taboo of menstruation in rural Maharashtra

Priyanka, 13 and a chirpy adolescent girl studying in a government school in a village called ‘Rohini Gaun’ 25 kms from Wardha in Maharashtra blushes and says, "We don’t talk about it at all!". That is how deep seated the taboo around menstruation is in rural India and our society as a whole, where mothers do not discuss it with their daughters or even among themselves. It is something to be 'hidden' from each other and the men folk of the household as if it never happened!  Priyanka gushes and says, "I got my menses when I turned thirteen few months ago and till that very time, I had no information about what menstrual cycle is." She says her mother told her nothing to prepare her for the change in her physiology and her life in general. "Menstruation onset turned my life upside down in more ways than one," Priyanka says regretfully, as if she felt she had been better off before it began.

In rural India as a whole, menstruation is a taboo writ with stigma not permitting discussion or even information seeking. Because of the shame and superstitions associated with this monthly biological occurrence, these women are impacted by poor menstrual hygiene. On an average a woman has 3000 days of menstruation in her lifetime, which begins from 8-16 years and ends in her late forties or early fifties, with very real and practical needs like material for absorption of menstrual blood, facilities for proper disposal of used materials with privacy and dignity.

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स्वास्थ्यमा दात्रि निकायको चासो

Hand Sanitizer: Does it really clean?

Source: The Himalayan Times, May 15, 2012