Consolata Wangari Waithaka. (Alissa Everett, Supplied)
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Consolata Wangari Waithaka. (Alissa Everett, Supplied)
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Everyone is clear on hand-washing and social distancing. Now, there has been an international rethink of the strategies to include wearing masks in many countries. For Africa it may be just what the doctor ordered, write Peter Holmes and James Elder.
From the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the public learnt to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly. Next, they were introduced to the concept of social distancing. Then came a series of "stay at home" orders, from curfews to complete lockdowns.
One major response to the virus, which divided health experts, was the wearing of masks. The concern that drove a near universal "no masks" policy was a fear that medical professionals would not be able to get supplies of the vital piece of protective equipment.
As with almost everything Covid-19 related, things are changing. And fast. With the increased understanding about the virus' ability to stay airborne for short periods of time, and recognition that staying at home simply isn't an option in much of the developing world, the campaign for wearing masks – non-surgical, reusable masks - has grown.
The US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now strongly supports the wearing of face masks, stating: "Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure."
At the same time, multiple nations have changed their position and included policies about mask-wearing that range from recommended to compulsory. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has now recommended that South Africans start wearing cloth masks. As of this week, all or parts of dozens of countries around the globe have such policies, from simple recommendations to compulsory regulations backed by heavy fines or jail time.
Let's be clear: There is no silver bullet in the fight against Covid-19, and as the WHO's director-general again made clear last week: "Every single person has a role to play in ending this pandemic." To that end, evidence continues to prioritise hand-washing with soap and water; avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth; avoiding close contact; and staying at home where possible. And surgical masks must be prioritised for health professionals.
But the rethink on home-made masks gives hope that African nations may reduce the spread of the virus in a reality where self-isolation is extremely difficult, and where health systems risk being dangerously overstretched. It may also offer relief to those staring at the economic abyss, by allowing people to work outside the house while reducing the risk to themselves and others.
The pandemic and the response to it have put two different pressures on families: a health fear and an unprecedented increase in financial insecurity. Job losses and reduced sales are a near universal experience, and for those closest to the bottom of the economic pyramid - families with little or no savings and small food reserves - the impact is immediate. And, we are told, will only worsen.
With some suggesting Africa will need tens of millions of masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus, the continent is jumpstarting an entirely new industry. Measures have included governmental edicts and the fast-tracking of standards, co-ordination with the military, clothing manufacturers re-assigning their production lines, and local fashion designers using traditional material to make brightly coloured masks. At a local level, small groups of seamstresses and women's cooperatives are active across Africa, where entrepreneurship will fill any gap in the market.
Kenya, which has just passed 200 officially recorded cases, has instigated a "masks in public rule", and announced it will need at least 15 million masks to be manufactured in the next month. The sound of sewing machines is omnipresent.
Consolata Wangari Waithaka runs a small women's empowerment charity, Women's Hope, in Nairobi. On a regular afternoon, her workshop would hum with women working on sewing projects together. Since Kenya outlawed plastic bags, the women's group focus has been on making reusable shopping bags for sale.
Consolata was quick to pivot, and organise her women to make reusable masks. They now do this from the homes of 10 women, turning out more than 2 000 masks daily. They retail these for Ksh100 (approximately $1).
Consolata's women are today making enough money to put food on the table for their families, and overnight most of them have become the sole income earners in their households. They are working remotely, and as the masks use the same material as non-plastic shopping bags, they are readily available. "We want the ladies to make money making them," she says. "We want people in the market to make money selling them. And we want Africans to be safer wearing them."
- Peter Holmes à Court is a businessman, philanthropist and author of ‘Walking with Giants’ @Peterhac. James Elder is UNICEF’s head of communication for Eastern and Southern Africa @1james_elder.
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