Informal Settlements and Pre-Emptive Actions to Win the War against COVID-19

Informal settlements are at high risk of becoming hotspots of the novel COVID-19 virus. Recent estimates show that one billion people live in informal settlements across the globe. If current trends persist, the number of people living in informal settlements is expected to increase to two billion by 2030 and three billion by 2050. Most people who live in these areas have no or limited access to water, electricity, sanitation, health, and security. While all populations are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, not all populations are affected equally.

Informal settlements are critical in fighting and containing the COVID-19 pandemic. While the current mitigation strategies to “flatten the curve” (prevent and delay the spread of COVID-19) are good, it is irrational to assume that physical distancing can be practiced in such environments. Structural barriers—such as inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure—impede residents’ ability to adhere to the prescribed hygiene measures. Indeed, if (as the current epidemiological evidence shows) COVID-19 is spread through human-to-human contact, then there is no denying that informal settlement is a recipe for disaster. The implications are deeply worrying.

I urge health and city officials to jealously guard the many informal settlements—otherwise, we risk losing the battle against COVID-19. The most powerful asset that can be honed and harnessed in informal settlements is resilience and self-organization. Hence, an effective COVID-19 campaign model should be community-led efforts to identify needs and tailor innovative low-cost solutions. The need to empower leaders of various factions and organizations—from traditional leaders, religious bodies and platforms, along with youth and women organizers—to effectively mobilize community members and train volunteers, with strong support from the local government, is urgent.

James Kwame Mensah is Lecturer, Department of Public Administration and Health Services Management, University of Ghana Business School, and Penn IUR Fellow. A longer version of this essay was originally published here.

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