The social enterprise arm of BASEflow, BASEflow Services, in partnership with United Nations Development Programme, the Governments of Japan and Malawi, is installing portable Sodium Hypochlorite Bleachmakers in state hospitals and CHAM facilities across Malawi. The Bleachmaker is a portable device that can produce powerful disinfectant using only water, salt, and a 12vDC power source (which can be powered by solar power, car battery, or direct electric current). The Bleach produced by the Bleachmaker is within the WHO recommended concentration levels (0.5-0.8%) and can be used for disinfection and sanitization of various surfaces and equipment, water treatment, and sanitizing surfaces.
A total of 46 facilities across Malawi (including Likoma Island) will benefit from this initiative that will provide health facilities with a convenient means of producing and accessing COVID19 response supplies, specifically, Chlorine Bleach which is useful for general sanitation and disinfection needs as well as treatment of water. Besides the installation of the equipment, the initiative will also orient more than 200 health-workers or operators, based within the facilities, in how to operate and maintain the easy-to-use equipment.
This initiative is part of the response to the COVID19 outbreak and seeks to empower public institutions to locally produce chlorine bleach more cheaply within the convenience of their facilities’ budgets. The portable Bleachmaker is a patented technology which is owned by WaterStep, a US-based organization that uses safe water solutions, e.g. water chlorination, bleach making, and health education, in empowering communities to take care of their own water needs. BASEflow is one of WaterStep’s regional partners in Africa and the supplier of WaterStep products in the Malawi market.
Follow the team’s installation progress on the monitoring console below:
