As part of efforts to increase the practice of hand washing, especially among school students in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has partnered with the Federal Government to raise awareness of the live-saving practice.
The government stressed that hand-washing is an easy, cheap and preventive means to stop the spread of infections, especially as the world continues to battle several epidemics and communicable diseases such as COVID-19, Lassa fever, Ebola, and recently, Monkeypox.
At the Federal Government Boys’ College in Apo, Abuja, during the event organised by the USAID, through its funded Project-breakthrough Action Nigeria, to commemorate this year’s Global Hand Washing Day, with the theme “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene,” the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, said that in Nigeria, more than 3.5 million children suffer from diarrheal diseases, among other diseases due to poor sanitation.
Represented by the Deputy Director of Solid Waste, Abdullahi Bokani, he said: “Globally, basic hand hygiene is often neglected due to lack of access to hand-washing facilities in key places. 40 per cent of the world’s population or three billion people do not have hand-washing facilities with water and soap at home.
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“In Nigeria, more than 3.5 million children suffer from diarrheal diseases and this is not a small figure. A simple act of washing hands with soap can reduce infection by 50 per cent, and this also reduces any respiratory disease by 25 per cent.
“Hand washing saves lives. However, many people tend to wash their hands with only water, which has proven ineffective in removing germs. For many Nigerians, cleaning hands with soap and water is not really considered necessary, as soaps are mostly reserved for laundry.”
The Programme Officer of Risk Communication of Breakthrough Action Nigeria, Mr Nuhu Idris, added: “Hand washing is a positive behaviour that goes a long way to prevent coming down with diseases such as cholera, Lassa fever and even COVID-19 that has ravaged our country and the world at large.
“As we remain united to ensure a clean environment, we urge you all – students, parents, teachers, and all the community to inculcate positive behaviour that makes us attain good health in our homes, schools, work etc. This way, we can stay healthy.”