Nigerian Government urges collective action for sustainable handwashing

The federal government on Tuesday reiterated the importance of collective action in maintaining regular handwashing habits, to prevent the spread of diseases.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, made this call at a media briefing ahead of the 2024 Global Handwashing Day in Abuja.

He explained that the 2024 event has, as its theme, ‘Why are clean hands still important?.

According to him, handwashing with soap remains one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid fever, and pneumonia.

“Handwashing with soap is not just a hygiene practice but a global health necessity.

“It is critical to disease prevention and not only helps people improve their health, but also removes barriers to economic opportunity, allows children to learn and grow, and helps strengthen communities.

“It is considered an affordable, accessible “do-it-yourself” vaccine for sanitation and hygiene-related diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid fever and pneumonia, which are prevalent in our communities”.

He said handwashing has been estimated to cut deaths from diarrhoea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by a quarter.

Utsev noted that while awareness of proper hand hygiene has grown, particularly following public health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, continued efforts were needed to promote handwashing beyond emergencies.

“Handwashing with soap is not just a hygiene practice but a global health necessity, the practice is critical for strengthening communities and ensuring public health.

“While knowledge of handwashing practices in Nigeria is high at 99 per cent according to the 2021 WASH NORM Report, access to the necessary facilities remains low,” he said.

The minister also emphasised the role of handwashing in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 6.2, which aims to provide universal access to hygiene services.

He emphasized the need for greater efforts to ensure more Nigerians have access to handwashing facilities with soap and water, despite a 99 per cent knowledge rate in hygiene practices.

Utsev acknowledged the efforts of partners such as Reckitt, Action Against Hunger, WaterAid, UNICEF, and Sightsavers in promoting hygiene at the national level.

He urged the media to play a key role in spreading awareness, stating, “Your work can amplify hygiene messages, motivate action from governments and businesses, and inspire individuals to take responsibility”.

He called on all stakeholders to contribute to achieving universal hand hygiene access.

“Let us strive for a world, where every child can grow up with the simple habit of washing their hands with soap, where every healthcare worker has access to hygiene facilities,” he said.

Highlights of the day include an awareness campaign road walk and symbolic handwashing activities at the Garki ultramodern market.

The Global Handwashing Day, observed annually on October 15, is a United Nations designated day aimed at raising awareness about the importance of handwashing with soap.

It seeks to catalyse local, national, and global actions to foster a culture of handwashing, which is an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

NAN / Foluke Ibitomi