WaterAid, partners mark Global Handwashing Day in Lagos State School

WaterAid Nigeria with its partners on Tuesday commemorated the 2024 Global Handwashing Day at the Oregun Junior High School, Ikeja.

The event saw the convergence of selected schools at Oregun Junior High School to instill the culture of handwashing in the students.

Speaking at the event, the Country Manager, WaterAid Nigeria, Ms Evelyn Mere, urged stakeholders to continue in the advocacy for the promotion of handwashing with soap and water.

Mere said the culture of regularly washing the hands with soap and water could prevent the spread of diseases.

She noted that Nigeria had made some progress in promoting the culture of handwashing since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“However, while according to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping Report 2021, only 99 per cent of heads of households have knowledge of at least two critical times handwashing, only eight per cent could demonstrate proper handwashing.

“This wide disparity between knowledge and practice is the challenge we must work together to address,” Mere said.

She noted that the recent outbreak of cholera continue to remind us of the importance of handwashing with soap and water making the theme for the 2024 celebration: “Why Are Clean Hands Very Important,”very relevant. The country director said that there was an urgent need to appraise the National Hand Hygiene Roadmap that was launched in Sept. 2021.

“We must re-think our behavioural change approaches to nudge people to wash their hands frequently as possible,” Mere said.

She added that WaterAid would continue to to join forces with stakeholders to strengthen systems to build up the necessary partnership for good hygiene within the reach of everyone, everywhere.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said that the annual event serves as a crucial reminder of the simple yet profound act of handwashing.

Represented by Mrs Folashade Adeyoju, the Deputy Director in the Office of Environmental Services, Wahab said that handwashing is significant in preventing the spread of diseases, and its impact on public health.

“In Lagos, a bustling metropolis with a large and diverse population, the importance of handwashing cannot be overstated.

“Our city faces numerous challenges, including rapid urbanisation, overcrowding, and limited access to basic amenities in certain areas.

“These factors can create conditions conducive to the transmission of diseases,” Wahab said.

He said that Lagos State has made significant strides in promoting handwashing practices.

“We have implemented various initiatives, including: public awareness campaigns, educating citizens about the benefits of handwashing and providing them with the necessary information and resources.

“In schools, we have Integrated handwashing education into the curriculum to ensure that our children learn the importance of this practice from a young age,” Wahab said.

Earlier, the Principal of Oregun Junior High School, Mrs Adesola Omowunmi, welcomed the students to the event and explained to them the importance of handwashing.

The event was put forward by WaterAid Nigeria with the collaboration of Humanity Family Foundation for Peace and Development.

NAN / Foluke Ibitomi