COVID-19 and Informal Settlements: an urgent call to rethink.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VIII, August 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

COVID-19 and Informal Settlements: an urgent call to rethink.

Oguche, Christopher Joseph^1*, Diyoke, Michael Chika², Andrew Noah Reigns³

¹Department of Geography and Environmental Management University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
²Department of Sociology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria
³Department of Geography, Nigeria Defence Academy Kaduna, Kaduna Nigeria

Abstract: Coronaviruses (Covid-19) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. The assessment of Covid-19 and informal settlements has remained relevant since it effect both human and it immediate environment and the world at large. The paper explores the concept of covid-19, settlements, informal settlements, characteristics of informal settlements, reduces risk factor for covid-19 in informal settlements, tackling covid-19 in informal Settlements and explains further Rio de Janeiro, Brazil case of covid-19. Suggestions from the paper that the government at all levels should provide adequate and functional amenities such as pipe borne water, health care facilities (testing skits), sanitation, soap, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and overall personal protective equipment. Portable hand washing stations are critical in informal settlements. It brought to bear that cities must be empowered to assume stronger leadership in coordination roles and to take on responsibilities for health and security and the governance and management of public and urban affairs. They need to do all this with strong participation of all actors. This paper will help researchers, scholars, government, planners as well as related authorities to understand the concept of covid-19 and informal settlements, its effects and proffer ways to control and mitigate the trend of the viruses.

Keywords: covid-19, informal settlements, sanitation, pandemic, environment

I. INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has effected masses of hundreds of lives within the world’s richest towns however poses a fair extra risk to towns within side the growing world. There are actually greater than 150,000 showed instances of coronavirus throughout Africa, in all 54 international locations, with South Africa and Egypt the worst affected. Maimunah (2020).

One of the maximum urgent issues for Africa is that over half of the populace (apart from in North Africa) stay in overcrowded informal settlements. In those regions in which numerous humans should proportion one badly ventilated room, illnesses consisting of COVID-19 unfold speedy and it’s miles not possible to exercise bodily distancing whether or not in houses or outdoor. Other preventative measures are similarly difficult.

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