COVID-19 emergency preparedness and response WASH and infection prevention and control measures in schools

This guidance note is for UNICEF Regional and Country Office WASH staff to help them in their preparedness and response to the current COVID-19 global pandemic. It provides an overview of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and its intersection with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and how UNICEF staff can help prevent infection and its spread in schools, through human to human and by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. WASH services including waste management and environmental cleaning are all important for IPC.

The guidance note highlights key actions that UNICEF staff can undertake to prevent infection in schools where they are still open. It also applies to schools that have closed to teaching and learning activities but remain open to pupils/students to continue with their school feeding. While many countries around the world have closed schools, there are a few which have kept them open just to make sure that pupils and students can continue to access meals, where parents may not have planned or are unable to provide food at home during this time of the COVID- 19 outbreak.