As part of activities marking the Global Handwashing Day every October 15 and as part of event to commemorate the event in Abuja, the nation’s capital, about 1,000 school pupils from selected schools have been trained to imbibe the culture of hand washing and introduce such to friends and family members to promote healthier societies and more productive lives.
According to the event organizer, investing in the health sector especially in the younger generations goes a long way to promote a healthier and better society while adding that 50 percent of disease can be prevented through the culture of hand washing.
The Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu, said the role hand washing plays in food and nutrition cannot be over-emphasized, adding that it was a recipe for good health.
Quoting the 2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster survey, the minister said no fewer than 43.6 per cent of under-five children are moderately and stunted which impairs their growth and development.
“A study showed that the number of times a child’s hands were washed per day, and the use of soap, were two of seven independent predictors of stunting in under-five children. Adopting the behavior of hand washing with soap is adjudged as one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diseases, cutting deaths from acute respiratory infections by nearly one-quarter,” Adamu stated.
The Federal Government he said has begun implementation of National Hygiene Promotion Strategy and Implementation Guidelines to garner stakeholder’s participation in improving access to hygiene in the country.
In their remarks, Messrs Lex Merlijn and Alex Goma, the country director of United Purpose and Managing Director, PZ Cussons respectively agreed that children possess the tendency adapt to positive changes and imbibing the culture of handwashing would enable everyone around the world have the benefit of good health that comes with clean hands.
By Taofeek Lawal
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