The Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK) has launched a six-months COVID-19 Prevention and COVID-19 Awareness Campaign to encourage communities to get vaccinated and embrace other preventive measures.
Through funding from the Hilton Foundation, 80 sister-run health facilities spread across the country will participate in this campaign with the goal to ensure Catholic nuns champion for the realization of a COVID-19 free nation. Approximately 1,500 front line health workers (including sisters) will benefit from various trainings to build their capacity and knowledge on COVID-19 during the campaign period running from July and December 2021. The campaign is expected to reach approximately 5 million community members with COVID-19 and vaccine information through various interventions.
The project will ensure the nuns are empowered with information about COVID-19 and vaccines to disseminate to the communities they serve, communities are encouraged to embrace COVID-19 preventive measures and get vaccinated, and the sister-run facilities have improved equipment and medical supplies.
‘‘As AOSK, we applaud the Ministry of Health’s efforts in COVID-19 response and recognise that a successful war against the pandemic requires both public and private sector support in advocacy on the COVID-19 vaccine uptake, provision of essential medical supplies, provision of protective gears and behaviour change communication,’’ noted Sr.Pasilisa Namikoye, Executive Secretary, Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK) at a workshop to sensitise administrators of the 80 health facilities on the campaign. ‘‘Catholic sisters‘ have always worked to improve and increase accessibility of basic healthcare to the most vulnerable in the communities. We would like to utilise our vast distribution across the country, direct engagement in the health sector and proximity to the masses to disseminate COVID-19 information to communities we serve and encourage vaccine uptake,’’ she further commented. This project complements the work of the Government in COVID-19 response in creating awareness about the pandemic and encouraging communities to protect themselves from infections by following the preventive measures and getting vaccinated.