The Forgotten Frontline Workers

 Who comes to mind when you think of the frontline workers of the COVID19 pandemic? Doctors, nurses, teachers, supermarket staff? Do sanitation workers appear on your list? This blog post aims to highlight the struggles of the forgotten frontline workers who have been especially ignored in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 1: A sanitation worker cleans himself after a day of work 

Source: SmartWater Magazine 2021 

Who are they and what do they do? 

Sanitation workers have always been essential, especially within densely populated urban areas were sewage systems are inadequate or non-existent. They protect us from infectious diseases which maintains not only public health but also the economy; which requires a strong and healthy workforce. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for sanitation workers has been more important than ever - so how and why is it that their vulnerabilities have been exacerbated more than ever? 

How has COVID-19 affect them?

Sanitation workers are tasked with operating sewage treatment plants, emptying latrine pits, septic tanks, transporting faecal sludge and more. Owing to the informal and unpleasant nature of their employment, sanitation workers are often open to exploitation and often socially ostracised. This lack of social mobility is also a result of their limited access to education and poor understanding of their rights.  Much of their work is undocumented, meaning that the scale of the problem is easily masked and ignored too. However, research undertaken by WaterAid  in various countries in Africa in light of the COVID-19 pandemic has given us an insight into the reality for sanitation workers: 

• Face masks and gloves are encouraged by many countries, but sanitation workers were not provided with them - they were left to buy their own (which many cannot afford or end up  reusing)
• 80% of workers interviewed in Burkina Faso thought PPE was so unsuitable it made accidents more likely to happen: gloves and boots have poor grip for example
• Despite the risks of working on the frontline, sanitation workers were more concerned about the financial impact rather than contracting the virus

Case Study in Nigeria: 

WaterAid's study in Nigeria revealed that although access to toilets and sanitation has increased in the last 5 years, progress has been slow. Currently the most populous country in Africa and facing rapid urban growth, Nigerian sanitation workers are under pressure - as are those looking to solve the situation at hand. At the moment 117 million people lack basic sanitation and more than 38 million practice open defecation. This is where workers such as Iliyasu are employed: 

Iliyasu Abbas: Age 50

                            

Figure 2: Iliyasu Abbas scoops human faeces into a bucket to be transported out of the latrine. Source: Nelson Owoicho 2021

• Pit latrine and septic tank emptier for 28 years
• Pandemic has drastically reduced his income 
• Empties faecal sludge manually using drums, buckets, shovels, ropes
• Wasn't given any extra PPE
• Doesn't know where he could even access a vaccine
• Has been cut several times by objects inside such as broken bottles/needles
• Colleagues have died as a direct consequence of the job

“A few years ago a worker died entering into a pit after being tasked to retrieve some money and a phone that someone had dropped inside. He was halfway into the pit when he suffocated from the fumes”

From this brief introduction to Ilyiasu alone, it is evident that regardless of the pandemic sanitation workers risk their lives by working in such hazardous conditions, yet they seem to receive little to no support.

So... what can be done? 

WaterAid thus calls on governments, local authorities, employers and the general public to "protect, respect, support and invest in sanitation workers". Some of the targets they propose include:

• Ensuring workers' safety by providing regular workforce training and a sufficient supply of PPE, as well as legislation and policies that protect them. 
• Improving working conditions through access to health insurance and social security. Paying workers decent and stable wages that are based on skills. Offering financial support to overcome COVID complications as well as access to water and sanitation in their communities and their place of work.
• Supporting empowerment by mobilising support and incentives for workers, making sure sanitation workers can consult with local authorities, and implementing education opportunities.
• Providing recognition of the workforce by prioritising their rights, recognising the importance of their job and its associated risks; challenging deep-rooted inequalities and discrimination.
• Encouraging research to better understand the sanitation workforce, their challenges and needs