The United Nations Children’s Fund in Borno has urged stakeholders to ramp up investments in infrastructures that promote and sustain the handwashing culture.
The organization adds that community sensitization programmes without access to sanitation facilities will not produce desired results.
The UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Manager in Maiduguri, Mamita Bora Thakkar, said this on Friday during the commemoration of the Global Handwashing Day at the Ramat Square in Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to Thakkar, government and the private sector must improve sanitation facilities in public places, communities and internally displaced persons’ camps if the reduction in disease outbreak must be achieved.
She said, “the success of any handwashing initiative will require investments to ensure access to the supplies and services required to practice hand hygiene. It also requires leadership at all levels – in homes, communities, schools, healthcare facilities nationally and globally – to create a culture where keeping our hands clean is a social norm, and everyone’s habit.’’
The programme which held at the Ramat Square had commissioners, traditional leaders, humanitarian partners and school children in attendance.
Also speaking at the programme, the General Manager, Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Engineer Muhammed Musa Aliyu, said regular handwashing contributes to improved wellbeing, dignity, educational fulfilment and productivity.
Aliyu added that achieving universal hand health requires the support of all stakeholders.
“Hand hygiene is extremely important to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and other water-borne diseases. It’s not the role of one individual or one institution. We need investments from donors, private sectors while the government come up with the right policies to support behaviour change campaigns to trigger adoption and sustenance of handwashing practices.The provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene is essential to protecting human health during all infectious disease outbreaks, including the COVID-19 disease,’’ he said.
