Covid-19
Content
- Guidelines and tools
- Red Cross Red Crescent Guidelines and tools
- External Guidelines and tools
- Learning resources
- Red Cross Red Crescent Learning resources
- External Learning resources
- Advocacy and communication material
- Red Cross Red Crescent advocacy and communication material
- External advocacy and communication material
Other documents related to COVID-19 are on the GO platform and on FedNet . Documents on this page are updated frequently with the latest guidance.
For updates on National Societies’ activities related to COVID-19 and WASH, visit the Regional RoundUp.
Red Cross Red Crescent COVID-19 WASH Frequency Asked Questions (FAQs) are being developed based on questions from Red Cross Red Crescent staff and volunteers and responses are developed using the latest guidance available.
Refer also the COVID-19 Health Help Desk for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, featuring a Frequently Asked Questions database, guidelines related to health & care, and webinars on COVID-19 health topics. It also provides timely response to queries from National Societies in different languages.
Guidelines and tools
Red Cross Red Crescent Guidelines and tools
Key WASH-specific COVID-19-related Resources
Key Overall WASH Resources
Global WASH Cluster Resource Page for COVID-19. The latest Global WASH Cluster COVID-19 weekly newsletter, as well as past issues, can be accessed here. The newsletter provides a summary of recently published WASH and COVID-19 resources.
Sphere: WASH & the Coronavirus – The document outlines the underlying principles and the importance of community engagement, as well as a detailed review of the relevant technical guidance in the WASH and Health chapters. A webinar (2 April 2020) on Operationalizing standards: Sphere and the COVID-19 response in camp settings is available here.
Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Waste Management for COVID-19 Technical Brief. WHO; UNICEF, last update: 23 April 2020. This Technical Brief summarizes the latest evidence on persistence of the COVID-19 virus in drinking-water, sewage and surfaces and highlights key elements of existing WHO guidance on water, sanitation and health care waste which is relevant for viruses (including coronaviruses). It focuses largely on health care and community settings. Also available in French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish.
HygieneHub – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine has launched a free service to help actors in low- and middle-income countries rapidly share, design, and adapt evidence-based hygiene interventions to combat coronavirus.
WHO’s updated Operational Guidelines for COVID-19 Response highlight WASH service providers as performing critical functions that must continue during a widespread outbreak of COVID-19. Enabling Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures in health facilities and communities is dependent on access to safely managed WASH, particularly for vulnerable communities and those populations affected by humanitarian crisis.
The Global WASH Cluster has published an advocacy report, with support of ICRC and others: COVID-19 and WASH: Mitigating the socio-economic impacts on the WASH sector. The report calls for immediate action to enable equitable access to WASH commodities and services for all to avoid detrimental impact of the pandemic in the sector. Also available in Arabic, French, and Spanish.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
See IFRC’s Go Platform Additional Resources – PPE section which includes for WASH activities.
Arabic
Russian
English
Spanish
French
ICRC COVID-19 Recommended PPE for WASH Activities – March 2020 (English)
Portoguese
Community Based Health and First Aid (CBHFA)
Community Engagement
Solid Waste Management
Cleaning
- IFRC WASH Technical note on spray disinfection (English)
- ICRC Poster – How to use chlorine to clean (English, French, and Spanish).
- ICRC Poster – How to use chlorine simple video.
- Using Aquatabs for disinfection guidance (English)
- Using Aquatabs for disinfection product flyer (English)
- Cleaning and Disinfection Resources from CDC
- WHO – Cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces in the context of COVID-19.
Handwashing
- What have we learned about promoting hand hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic? Have a look at the learning brief put together by the HygieneHub
- ICRC video on how to build a tippy tap for hands-free hand washing (English).
- Netherlands Red Cross COVID-19 Handwashing Tips (23 April 2020) (English).
- Netherlands Red Cross COVID-19 Handwashing Tips (23 April 2020) ( French).
IFRC Distribution Protocol
External Guidelines and tools
Handwashing
- The WHO has issued guidance on universal access to hand hygiene. We strongly encourage Red Cross Red Crescent action to support the establishment and maintenance of hand hygiene stations and promote universal access to handwashing facilities.
- Handwashing Compendium for Low Resource Settings: A Living Document IDS This resource focuses on handwashing technologies (hardware) 23 April 2020
- Hands-free hand washing water stations: a compendium. This is a compendium consolidated by Engineers Without Borders from and for WASH CSOs and stakeholders in Uganda and relevant for other countries affected by COVID-19. It presents hands-free hand washing water stations currently in use that are low cost and low tech.
- WaterAid Technical Brief On Contactless Handwashing Stations
- Design of three models from Nepal
- Action Against Hunger Design for metal hands-free handwashing station
- Bill of Quantity
- The COVID-19 Wash’EM resources can all be accessed here.
- The recording of a webinar (23 March 2020) in english can be accessed here.
- The slides from the presentation in english are available here.
- Questions and answers from the webinar can be accessed here.
- Wash’EM Handwashing with Soap – Our Best Defence Against Coronavirus
- Wash’EM coronavirus and handwashing guide can be accessed here this gives practical tips on how to encourage community-level handwashing behaviour with the aim of controling and preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
- Handwashing as a Preventative Measure: Updates on the Coronavirus Outbreak.Global Handwashing Partnership (GHP), February 2020.
- WHO-UNICEF WASH in Health Care Facilities Webinar Series – Supporting you to be COVID-19 ready
- Access the recording of the webinar with Focus on Hand Hygiene (16th April 2020) here
Infection Prevention & Control (IPC)/ WASH
Menstrual Hygiene Management
Learning resources
Red Cross Red Crescent Learning resources
Training Resources
IFRC COVID-19 General Training Resources
On the IFRC Learning platform, you will find a playlist on COVID-19 which includes 2 key courses one for the general public and one for responders, and the links for these are below:
Introduction to Market Based Programming in Emergency WASH by GWC,PRO-WASH, CaLP. This webinar introduces how market-based programming can be used in emergency WASH, provides an overview of different approaches including cash and voucher assistance, and strategies to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recordings and presentations are available in English, Spanish, and French. The webinar was held in Arabic on 1 June 2020.
In addition to highlighted WASH and COVID-19 webinars, refer to the Global WASH Cluster for upcoming webinars and to access recordings of past webinars.
External Learning resources
Relevant Webinars
WHO ePROTECT Respiratory Infections
This course provides a general introduction to Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs) and basic hygiene measures to protect against infection. Available in AR, Bahasa Indonesia, EN, FR, PT, RU, SP, ZH.
TEPHINET Risk Communication Training (EN)
This course aims to guide those who communicate on behalf of their organization during an emergency with risk communication principles and best practices. Most relevant for programme staff and those who work with CEA.
Advocacy and communication materials
Red Cross Red Crescent Advocacy and communication materials
Information Education Communication (IEC) Resources for WASH and COVID-19
Red Cross Red Crescent IEC material templates can be accessed here.
SARC WatHab Poster COVID 19 virus – Outdoor Measures (Arabic)
SARC WatHab Poster COVID 19 virus – Handwashing (Arabic)
SARC WatHab Poster – COVID 19 – Public General Measures (Arabic)
Egyptian RC IEC material developed for migrants, refugees and IDPs
External advocacy and communication materials
- Welthungerhilfe Comic Book resources for teenagers (multiple languages)
- WASH in Schools Network Resources – COVID-19 resources (English)
- IASC My Hero is You – Book for Children (English)
- UNICEF A compendium of IEC materials related to COVID-19 collected by UNICEF
- Communication 4 Development (C4D) – Guidance for Effective Local Communication Response to Coronavirus (English)
To include resources on this page, or for more information on IFRC initiatives please contact: wash.geneva@ifrc.org