Majority of communities around North Guadalcanal are concerned about their personal health and hygiene due to the threat of coronavirus.

Amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are also trying to adapt to the new behavioural manners advised by the health authorities.

Francis Taghakule from Tumurora village says sanitation will be a challenge if they are to apply those measures especially when it comes to the health and hygiene practise.

“Many of our small settlements within these villages are yet to have proper water, which means some of the measures given from the authorities are lacking here in our villages,” he said.

He said despite the information they hear on the radio and various awareness outreach they are still helpless since they do not have proper sanitation.

Village Disaster Responsible Committee, Simon Tito highlights that in their village they have no proper toilets.

They only have nine stand pipes and a borehole water pump that is estimated to be consumed by 400 people.

“COVID-19 measures are highlighted around health and hygiene and look at our current state I believe that this will be our serious challenge. I see this as a need so that we can say prevention is better than cure,” Simon said.

Other communities in North Guadalcanal also have the same problem with sanitation.

So far the rural communities reached were Suaghi, Tumurora, Ngalimera, Katehana and Niu Birao.