FG: How Handwashing  Can Cut Diseases, Hospitalisations by 50%

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government at the weekend urged Nigerians to imbibe the practice of frequent washing of hands, stressing that it could reduce diseases and incidences of hospitalisation by 50 per cent.

Speaking at the 2022 edition of the Global Handwashing Day, which was hosted by Mrs Uju Rochas-Awunkah, Country Director,  U-Save Foundation, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, explained that attitude to hygiene remains an impediment to achieving the objectives of the global washing day.

October 15 is the Global Handwashing Day, a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

Adamu, who was represented by the Deputy Director in the Department of Water Quality Control in the ministry, Ibiyemi Olu-Daniels, said the government was making concerted efforts to ensure that the various campaigns to encourage hygiene nationwide were ramped up.

He noted that due to the efforts, 72 local government areas are currently open defecation free , stressing that basic neatness will reduce the transmission of diseases.

“Washing hands will reduce the transmission of disease by nothing less than 50 per cent , according to United States statistics and this will reduce the transmission of germs and bacteria. 

“And it’s not just the washing of hands that will help eradicate diseases but also safe drinking water use and we are doing a lot in that regard,” Adamu added.

While lauding the U-Save foundation for the initiative, he stressed that there was ongoing collaboration with the states which are the implementing bodies, urging Nigerians to take basic care to prevent diseases.

Rochas-Awunkah, Country Director of the programme stated that adherence to a handwashing culture could decrease the amount of infections and even mortality rates in the country and worldwide.

“ And that’s why there’s SDG goals and the United Nations has taken it seriously. And as such, we in Nigeria should not focus on hospitalisation and treatment and things like that.

“The focus should be on preventative health, preventative medicine, how do we promote health? How do we prevent disease infections? And washing hands is one of the key areas that we can use to prevent diseases and infections,” she explained.

According to her, preventive exercises like handwashing remain the most effective way to reduce aliments.

“The simple act of hand washing actually decreases disease spread all across the board, and that’s very important and it has become more important now as recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO )and the United Nations.

“So it’s something that we should all incorporate in our homes, in our offices, everywhere we go and it should be a gospel that must be pushed around the nation because with this, we can help reduce the cost of hospitalisations and treatments,” she added.

According to her, for children, it will also cut the number of days they will be out of school due to ailments, stressing that where soap and water are not immediately available, sanitisers should be used.

Also on hand to support the programme which saw the organisation invite students from primary schools in Dawaki and Gwarimpa in Abuja were the Deputy Chief of Staff Rochas Foundation, Mrs Uloma Nwosu, Public Health Consultant, Moses Okpara, among others.