Soap produced at a subsidized cost puts hand hygiene within reach of the average household. UNICEF 17 December 2020
When COVID-19 hit Burundi, UNICEF and partners set to work on a massive communication campaign promoting handwashing with soap to stop the transmission of the virus. Immediately, a serious issue needed to be addressed: how can Burundians practice hand hygiene when many cannot afford buying soap?
Nearly 90 per cent of Burundi s 12 million population live below the international poverty line of US$1.90. Well over half live on less than US$0.90 per day.
With the cost of a standard bar of soap at 300 Burundian francs (BIF) or US$0.16, purchasing soap for handwashing is something many Burundians need to think twice about.