Minister Urges Proper Handwashing For Healthy Living

Minister of water resources and sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, has reiterated the need to prevent diseases through proper handwashing.

The minister who was represented by the director, River Basin Operations and Inspectorate, Mr John Ochigbo, at a media parley in Abuja to commemorate this year’s 2023 Global Handwashing Day themed: ‘Clean Hands Are Within Reach’, said diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever and pneumonia can be curtailed, reducing death to nearly 50 percent with a practice of proper handwashing with soap and running water.

He said this would improve healthy living in line with the Sustainable Development Goal Target 6.2.

The minister said handwashing is a ‘first-line of defense’ in preventing disease outbreaks and reducing the toll in pandemics as evident during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

He said about 99 percent of the population had knowledge of handwashing but only eight per cent practiced it.

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“It may interest you to know that a high knowledge of handwashing practices estimated at 99 per cent was reported, in practice, only eight percent of the population can demonstrate proper handwashing with water and soap under running water.

“In addition, only four per cent are likely to practice proper handwashing with water and soap in critical times such as after defecation, touching animals or sick persons, playing and before cooking, eating, handling food or feeding others

According to him, these low indices indicate the need to review strategies in order to strengthen interventions for greater effectiveness and sustainable results.

Utsev applauded development partners and other stakeholders in the sector and called for collective action to improve hygiene service.

Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the ministry, Earlier, Mrs. Elizabeth Ugoh, highlighted the opportunity to promote and encourage hand washing as a cost-effective method for preventing diseases and avoidable deaths.

She said the ministry sought to foster a community of healthy individuals who can actively contribute to economic development through effective hand washing at crucial moments.