As Europe and much of the developed world shuts down in the face of coronavirus, many millions of people haven’t much hope in following the World Health Organization (WHO) advice on washing hands and keeping their distance.

About one billion people live in slum-like conditions, making up 30% of the world’s urban population. These housing facilities tend to have very little ventilation, drainage and sewage facilities, with diseases spreading easily. Celestine Adhiambo, 43, lives in the Mukuru slum in Nairobi with her husband and six children. The family’s one-room house has no running water or electricity. She says her children can’t move around much without banging into each other.

“It is not possible for us to separate a child from another in case of any infection. We don’t have any space. No rooms here. The government should take the infected people to hospitals,” she told the BBC. Her husband works as a carpenter and on the days he works, he earns about 400 Kenyan Shillings (£3.15, $4) and every day the family spends about 50 shillings on buying 10 buckets of water.

But the water supply is erratic and on days when there is no water, the family has to forgo the quick bath they are accustomed to.(BBC)…[+]