Ghana marks global handwashing day event

The deputy minister of sanitation and water resources, Issahaku Chinnia Amidu, has indicated that the Global Handwashing Day is commemorated annually to drum home the need to encourage Ghanaians, as a priority concern to endeavour to regularly wash their hands.

According to him, the hand is the critical component of the human organ that transmits a lot of pathogens and viral diseases through contacts and unhealthy hand washing practices. As a result, it poses a grave danger to the survival of humans.

Chinnia Amidu made these remarks during the Global Handwashing Day event, in Accra, on the 15th October 2021 under the theme, 'Our Future is at Hand; Let’s Move Forward Together'.

He intimated that the theme was very much relevant to the campaign on the Ghanaian citizenry to imbibe in themselves the regular handwashing culture and proper hygienic behaviors.

Hon. Chinnia Amidu, further used the rare privilege to commend all the relevant stakeholders in the water and sanitation sub-sector, such as UNICEF, WaterAid, Plan International Ghana, World Vision, Aqua Africa among others, for the relentless support they offer the country in addressing water and sanitation problems.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency Ing. Dr. Worlanyo Kwadjo Siabi, bemoaned that only 48 percent of Ghanaians have access to handwashing facilities in their premises.

He, therefore, implored on the citizenry, particularly the various institutions, quasi-governmental agencies, offices and all other public spaces and event organizers, to as a matter of critical need, mounts handwashing facilities at their premises.

Ing. Dr. Worlanyo Kwadjo Siabi also assured the general public of the preparedness of his outfit to engage all the key actors in the water and sanitation sub-sector to ensure that the practice of handwashing becomes a common feature for the general populace of the country.

On her part, the Head of Extension Services of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency who doubles as the programme coordinator for the event, Mrs. Theodora Adomako-Adjei, stated that the nightmarish of COVID-19 pandemic continues to highlight the critical need of handwashing hygienic practices which play a key role in the disease transmission chain.

She said the theme, undoubtedly calls for recognition of hand hygiene as a fundamental component of health and public safety which is being observed globally to highlight the significance of handwashing in the socio-economic sphere of Ghanaians, as a prerequisite of proper Human growth and advancement.

Mrs. Theodora Adomako further stressed that sustainability of the handwashing behaviour post-COVID-19 would also be a key component in her agenda to ensure that the quest for behaviour change to sustain the handwashing practices by the Ghanaians is being promoted nationally.

Meanwhile, as part of the event, there was a compendium of innovative handwashing facilities exhibited at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, whiles some general public were engaged and sensitized about the need of regular hand washing practices around the circle enclave in Accra.

Background

Global Handwashing Day, is 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. Global Handwashing Day provides a platform to take action and increase access and practice of handwashing with soap to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All.

Present at the function were the staff of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, staff from the CWSA, innovators of hand washing facilities and some relevant stakeholders in the water and sanitation sub-sector in the country.