How to Tackle Coronavirus in Slums

For the large number of low-income country residents who live in informal settlements, or slums, will be ill-served by well-publicized measures that rely on the stockpiling of food, the availability of savings, the ability to work from home, and the need to keep your distance even from close relatives.

In these environments, staying at home can itself be a risk. Cramped, often poorly-ventilated dwellings housing large numbers of people are potential petri dishes for COVID-19. Queuing to use shared toilets or draw water from wells or boreholes, using crowded public transport, or simply walking past others in narrow lanes heighten the risk of exposure.

This guidance document offers eight ideas for adapting prevention standards to slums and informal settlements.

Last modified: July 21, 2020

Language: English