By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The federal government has urged both public and private sector on adequate hand washing facilities in public spaces .
Minister of State Environment, Dr. Iziak Salako made the disclosure during the commemoration of 2023 Hand washing Day, held at the Federal Government Boys College, Wuye, yesterday in Abuja.
He said that the simple act of washing hands with soap under running water can reduce infection by 50% and respiratory disease by 25%.
The Minister represented by the Ministry’s Acting Permanent Secretary,Charles Ikeah, said the theme of this year’s Hand Washing Day: “Clean hands are within reach” calls for strong leadership and collective efforts to close the gaps in access and practice to achieve hand hygiene for all.
According to him, the Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent diseases, save lives and help meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 6.
The Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent diseases, save lives and help meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 6.
“This year’s theme, “Clean hands are within reach” calls for strong leadership and collective efforts to close the gaps in access and practice to achieve hand hygiene for all.
“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, it may interest you to know that a simple act of washing hands with soap under running water can reduce infection by 50% and respiratory disease by 25%. Research has shown that creating awareness on proper handwashing helps communities to stay healthy by reducing the number of people who get sick with diarrhoea by 23-40%, reducing diarrhoea illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58%, reducing respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by 16-21% and also reduces absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in school children by 29-57%.
“Handwashing with soap under running water is the most cost-effective health intervention compared with others such as immunization and responding to disease outbreaks. Hands often act as agents that carry disease-causing pathogens from person to person, either through direct contact or indirectly via surfaces, hence hand hygiene is regarded as one of the most important elements of infection control activities and alone can significantly reduce the risk of cross-transmission of infection in healthcare facilities” he said.
He added that research has shown that handwashing helps in battling the rise of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Resistance to antibiotics is one of the greatest threats to global health, food security and development. Increasing numbers of serious infections are becoming more difficult to treat because of the loss of efficacy of antibiotics which are often misused and abused; hence it is very important that we reduce the number of these infections by washing hands frequently.
Representative of the Minister of Education Mrs Hassana Mailafia said the Ministry will not relent in it efforts in collaborating with relevant stakeholders in the educational institutions in spreading awareness and creating conducive environments for proper hand hygiene.
