Other Public Health Programming
If WASH staff identify a need or opportunity, or are requested to intervene in other public health areas, Programme Management and preferably Regional or HQ-based Public Health Advisors should be consulted to determine Oxfam’s capacity to intervene, what added-value Oxfam would bring, and budgetary and timing issues.
Oxfam’s core public health expertise – both in terms of PHP and PHE – is in diarrhoea and malaria. However there will be occasions when a need or opportunity arises for involvement in other public health programming. This might be:
- To support the activities of another NGO or the Ministry of Health during an emergency response (for example a mass vaccination campaign);
- To respond to other WASH-related health threats (for example bilharzia, skin and eye infections) or other health issues amongst the affected community that would have an impact on public health or safety (e.g. fire safety).
- To maintain momentum and interest levels in existing community WASH activities during chronic emergencies.
Factors to consider in deciding whether to engage with other public health activities include:
- Does Oxfam have the capacity and experience to intervene? Do other NGOs have more established expertise? Would Oxfam’s involvement be better focussed on advocacy within WASH and Health Clusters for scale-up by other agencies?
- How does Oxfam add value to the activity?
- Can the cost of the activity be covered in the existing budget? If not, what alternative sources of funding are available (e.g. in-kind support from another NGO or UN)?
- Does the timing of the activity coincide with Oxfam’s core WASH or malaria activities around the rainy season? If so it is likely to detract from our core messages and will need strong justification.
What we don’t do
WASH teams and management should know the limit of Oxfam WASH activities, and know how to deal with requests for humanitarian support in activities that we do not undertake.
- Oxfam does not carry out medical interventions, though we may advocate for others to provide clinical services if there is a significant gap in provision.
- Oxfam does not provide community-based post-traumatic stress counselling but staff may need support in working with severely traumatised communities (see policy paper on psychosocial support).
- Oxfam should not advocate for, or implement, chemical fly control such as spraying, outdoor fogging or dusting for the sole purpose of eradicating or controlling flies.
- Oxfam does not promote or use insecticide-treated plastic sheeting in latrine or shelter construction, nor distribute ITPS as an NFI. The effectiveness of Insecticide-Treated Plastic Sheeting (ITPS) as a vector control method is still under debate.
- Oxfam does not provide ‘child friendly spaces’ although we may provide WASH facilities for such spaces supervised by other agencies that are experienced in working with children (such as Unicef and Save the Children).
Vulnerability
WASH Programmes should be based on a needs assessment that identifies the specific needs, vulnerabilities and capacities of distinct socio-economic, gender, ethnic and age groups within a community. WASH programmes should also make provision for the specific needs of children.
Vulnerable Groups:
Groups at risk in emergencies include the elderly, disabled people and people living with HIV and Aids (PLWHA). In certain contexts, people may also become vulnerable by reason of ethnic/tribal origin, religious or political affiliation, or displacement. WASH programmes should take steps to ensure the participation of vulnerable groups:
- Specific vulnerabilities influence people’s ability to cope and survive in a disaster; those most at risk should be identified in each context.
- Consult with different groups (elderly, disabled people) separately.
- Make consideration for understanding the needs of groups who are consistently away from the household (e.g. for livelihood purposes), or not immediately visible (e.g. people with mental and physical disabilities)
- Make consideration for understanding the needs of people with disabled people such as the deaf, blind and those with mental disabilities.
Working with Children
Children’s lives are particularly disrupted by emergencies and the impacts of a disaster such as displacement or families being separated.
Involving children in WASH activities can improve their physical and psychosocial health as well as that of the whole community. By giving children tools and knowledge to change their behaviour, what they learn is often shared with the rest of the family and applied for the rest of their lives – an effective way to ensure the long-term sustainability of a WASH programme’s impact.
WASH staff should ensure that:
- Every member of the affected community aged under the age of 18 is treated as a child.
- Ensure the specific NFI related needs for children are addressed.
- Child labour is avoided. If children are involved in WASH activities that could be perceived as child labour e.g. a clean up campaign, this should be clearly discussed and agreed with local authorities and parents beforehand.
- They understand the health and other risks facing children (protection, economic) in the specific country context.
- The design and siting of WASH facilities is appropriate for children.
Mainstreaming HIV & AIDS
Mainstreaming of HIV & AIDS ensures that:
- The specific needs of those affected by HIV/AIDS are considered in WASH response plans.
- The risk of HIV transmission in affected communities is reduced through sensitively planned WASH activities.
WASH staff should:
- Consider the special needs (e.g. access, proximity, increased water consumption) of PLWHA in WASH activities.
- Do no harm: e.g. avoid stigmatising people by labelling them as HIV positive.
- Be briefed by HR or Management on the personal risks they face from HIV and the wider HIV & AIDS profile in the country and amongst the affected population.
- Work with HR staff to ensure all Oxfam staff, partners and contractors are informed about HIV and the Oxfam Workplace Policy on HIV & AIDS.
- Consider issues of gender and protection in conjunction with HIV & AIDS