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Coronavirus Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic affects each and every one of us.

Covid-19 continues to spread rapidly around the world, with cases in GOAL's countries of operation increasing by the day. Vulnerable communities with already weak and limited healthcare systems, poor resources and scarcity of clean, safe water may soon be overwhelmed. The impact is likely to be devastating - but GOAL is responding.  

Impact on GOAL's countries

Cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in all of our 14 countries of operation, with movement restrictions seriously impacting on health, nutrition and livelihoods.

A huge issue is the reduction in access to health services with people not attending clinics due to different levels of lockdown, and out of fear of infection. This will lead to an increase in deaths from preventable and treatable conditions.

The impact on health systems is having a particularly detrimental effect on women, who are being denied access to sexual and reproductive health. Also, hundreds of thousands of children under the age of one are not receiving vaccines due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Malaria season is about to begin in many countries, and there are concerns people will avoid seeking treatment out of fear of contracting Covid-19.

The biggest global impact from Covid-19 is likely to be economic, with vulnerable communities facing huge hardship. Movement restrictions mean small businesses are struggling to survive. People cannot work and therefore can’t afford to buy food. Informal workers, often youth, women and displaced people, are losing income but the price of food increases. This leads to malnutrition with poor people eating less.

GOAL is already on the ground working hard to maintain our existing programmes while responding to and mitigating the impacts of Covid-19 at the same time. We have reached more than 17 million people to date with important hygiene education, key messaging and the provision of water stations and soaps to reduce the risk of the virus spreading and maintaining life-saving and life-sustaining programmes

In the coming months, your support will be needed more than ever as the virus hits across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

COVID-19 Zimbabwe. GOAL raise COVID-19 awareness, share health messaging and distribute hand sanitiser at their food distribution programme in Chipinge district.

How GOAL is Responding - The Community-Led Action Approach

GOAL is drawing on its extensive experience of emergency health work and infectious disease preparedness around the world in its response to Covid-19. In particular, we draw from our large-scale response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014.

We are putting communities at the centre of the response through our Community-Led Action approach across all of our countries. The approach enables communities to understand the risks and develop action plans to protect themselves and their families. At the same time, Covid-19 prevention messages are being integrated into our existing programmes, using mass media messaging and engaging influential leaders. This is helping GOAL to reach targeted communities rapidly.

We are responding to Covid-19 across our 14 countries through:

  • Providing access to clean water and handwashing stations and promoting safe hygiene and sanitation practices.
  • Working with local leaders to maintain safe community access to essential public services.
  • Increasing hygiene in local markets and shops ensuring they can stay open.
  • Supporting health clinics in infection prevention control training and PPE supplies so that communities will be encouraged to visit health facilities for COVID-19 treatment and other health issues.
  • Delivering our existing life-saving and life-sustaining nutritional, health and food programmes.
  • Providing cash assistance to households so they can purchase food and other essential items for their families. This also supports local economies.
  • Working with small businesses to increase access to agricultural supplies such as seed and animal feed for farmers.
  • Supporting existing buyers to get food products to market.

Touch, drag and click anywhere on the map to see the latest number of Covid-19 cases.
Countries in pale green are where GOAL works.

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Covid-19 Statistics

Total Cases:

Deaths:

# of people reached by GOAL 274,110 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 830,693 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 198,482 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 1,216,805 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 722,446 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 354,145 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 230,192 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 1,163 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 1,155,259 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 13,873 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 187,565 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 2,901 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 748,293 in 2020

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# of people reached by GOAL 18,787 in 2020

How GOAL is responding country by country

East Africa
West Africa
Southern Africa
Middle East
Latin America

GOAL's response in East Africa

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, GOAL has reached over half a million people with messaging around hygiene and how to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Our team there is also supporting Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) systems in high risk communities and health centres. We are distributing water barrels and hygiene essentials to refugee camps in Afar in the north east.

South Sudan

South Sudan is one of the most vulnerable countries in Africa, with very weak health systems. GOAL is distributing Covid-19 messaging across local and national radio. These messages have reached over 13,000 people. GOAL has been working with 71 health centres to implement infectious control procedures which will benefit over 1.1 million people.

Sudan

In Sudan, we are working with the National Government to distribute information and training materials to more rural parts of the country. We are supporting WASH and infectious control activities across the country. So far, GOAL has ensured that 40 Health Care facilities have had capacity increased to implement infection control procedures to benefit 340,125 people.

Uganda

In Uganda, GOAL has been disseminating Covid-19 prevention awareness via radio as well as conducting good hygiene demonstrations at local level. These activities have reached over 100,000 people.

GOAL's response in West Africa

Niger

In Niger, GOAL is working with community health workers, youth associations and public town criers using a PA system on messaging. As of April 23rd, GOAL teams have started Community Led Action (CLA) training in over 70 villages in the Zinder and Tillabery regions.

Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, we are procuring a variety of health and hygiene products for distribution in various parts of the country. In Freetown we have set up screening stations in health units and supplied hand washing stations, hand sanitizers and soaps and protective equipment through the support of Irish Aid, START Fund and BMGF.

GOAL Sierra Leone is also training healthcare workers, distributing information materials, producing radio information campaigns, and working with cross border communities to prevent cross border transmissions of the disease.

GOAL's response in Southern Africa

Malawi

In Malawi, we have been implementing Covid-19 response activity across the country, working closely with Government and other humanitarian actors engaged in the response. We have procured a range of protective materials, together with key sanitation items, and distributed these to health facilities and targeted households/communities.   

GOAL has supported the Magoti Mothers’ group in Nsanje District in southern Malawi to expand its sewing circle to start making reusable health masks. The group – which currently sews reusable sanitary pads for disadvantaged teenage girls – plan to make 700 masks, 300 which will be purchased by GOAL. This enterprise will be an extra income stream for the women who are struggling to make ends meet.

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, GOAL has used national radio stations to provide health and awareness information to over 4.5 million people across the country. GOAL has also reached more than 610,000 people with key Covid-19 messaging using mobile road units in Harare, Chipinge, Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Mutare. In addition, GOAL has reached over 100,000 people with a local awareness poster campaign.

GOAL's response in the Middle East

Iraq

In Iraq, GOAL has responded in refugee camps providing latrines and handwashing and personal hygiene items. In addition it has provided hygiene items including soap to more than 8,000 households. We have supported the dissemination of Covid-19 awareness and prevention information to 10,281 people and provided 1,700 people with access to clean, safe water.

Syria

In Syria, 199,000 people have been reached with Covid-19 awareness and prevention information and distribution of hygiene kits. GOAL is also working with communities to enable the implementation of Social Behaviour Change interventions; strengthening of community referral systems; and facilitation of Community Led Action (CLA) processes. We have adapted the WASH campaign to ensure continuation of water supply to those in Northwest Syria.

Turkey

GOAL has carried out a survey of refugees in Turkey to better adapt our response to their specific needs. The results show many refugees are not getting the correct information due to language barriers and remote locations. GOAL has been working with these communities to best prepare them with the correct information. So far, our awareness campaign has reached 1,926 people.

GOAL's response in Latin America

Haiti

In Haiti, GOAL has been training community leaders in Port au Prince in Community Led Action procedure. These include how to properly use personal protection equipment (PPE).

Honduras

In Honduras, GOAL is working with government and local authorities on door to door awareness campaigns. In La Mosquita region, GOAL has reached 36,000 people via Whatsapp. GOAL is helping local health facilities to coordinate with referral hospitals through data packages and/or online platforms.

What Can You Do To Help?

You can support the global response to Covid-19 in a number of ways:

GOAL Global Snapshot

+559 million

Number of Cases Worldwide

17 million

GOAL Beneficiaries Globally

14

GOAL Operational Countries

+6.3 million

COVID-19 Deaths To Date

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