The Community and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) marked Global Handwashing Day in grand style under the theme, “Why Are Clean Hands Still Important?”
Held at La Bawaleshie Presbyterian Basic School in Accra, the event underscored handwashing’s ongoing impact on disease prevention, especially among children, and addressed the urgent need for sustainable hygiene infrastructure.
Ghana’s Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Lydia Seyram Alhassan, speaking at the event emphasized handwashing’s simplicity and effectiveness in disease prevention, noting, “Hand washing with soap is one of the most effective ways to prevent disease and save lives.”
However, she highlighted that inadequate hand hygiene significantly contributes to illnesses such as diarrhea, respiratory infections, and malnutrition in children.
Statistics from the World Health Organization indicate that handwashing can reduce absenteeism due to these illnesses by up to 15%, a reduction with direct benefits for school attendance and child development.
Despite increased awareness during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alhassan noted, the availability of handwashing stations has worryingly declined.
“Many facilities installed during the pandemic have since fallen into disrepair, often lacking basic supplies like soap and water,” she added, calling for a renewed commitment to maintaining these facilities and making hand hygiene accessible to all.
Hon . Alhassan urged students, teachers, and parents to embrace handwashing daily, underscoring that a strong and healthy community is built through consistent hand hygiene.
She commended the organizers and partners for promoting Global Handwashing Day, emphasizing that commitment to clean hands must extend beyond the event as it is essential for a healthier future.
The Sector Minister also seized the opportunity to donate handwashing materials to the traditional leaders to help rekindle handwashing practices in the community.
The Community Water and Sanitation Agency’s (CWSA) Director of Extension and Commercial Services, Theodora Adomako-Adjei, who delivered a statement on behalf of CWSA Chief Executive Mr. Aloysious Adjetey, echoed the need for systemic change.
She detailed CWSA’s collaboration with partners to increase visibility and awareness around handwashing while acknowledging remaining gaps.
“Only 48% of households have access to proper handwashing facilities,” she cited the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. With over half the population lacking access to basic handwashing amenities, she advocated for a comprehensive, nationwide approach to hand hygiene.
Adomako-Adjei emphasized that universal handwashing requires strong leadership, commitment, and action, urging stakeholders to support initiatives like the Hand Hygiene for All program to foster behavioral change. Sustaining hand hygiene practices, she noted, is critical to achieving long-term public health improvements.
The event’s host, Mrs. Naa Shormey Nortey, Headmistress of La Bawaleshie Presbyterian Basic School, expressed pride in hosting this year’s commemoration.
She highlighted the roles of educators and parents in instilling handwashing as a lifelong habit in children. “Clean hands save lives,” Nortey remarked, “and we have to promote good hygiene in our schools and communities.”
As Global Handwashing Day 2024 focuses on the relevance of hand hygiene, the message is clear: clean hands are essential, and the time to renew efforts is now.
Through coordinated action and community involvement, stakeholders aim to make clean hands a universal standard, protecting communities and fostering a healthier future.
The event featured cultural displays, a drama performance by students, and food vendors aimed at raising public awareness about the importance of personal hygiene practices.
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo/newsghana.com.gh
