End societal stigma against Covid-19 patients

Siaya county personnel carry the body of a Covid-19 victim to his rural home for burial at night.

Most Kenyans in rural areas have, for a long time, considered Covid-19 an affliction domiciled in Nairobi and Mombasa. They believed it could not affect them because it was far removed from their daily routines. As a result, many did not see the need for complying with Ministry of Health containment measures.

However, an exponential rise in Covid-19 cases across the country has had even the sceptics taking notice. The level of infection within counties is alarming as, unnoticed, communal spreading goes on. Quarantine facilities and hospitals, already overrun, were not equipped for the number of patients seeking help. The alternative for patients unable to get hospital admission is home-based care, and therein lies the challenge.