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2nd November, 2010
Savelugu Pupils Sensitised On Need For Hand-Washing
A durbar of school children, community people, public officials and Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs), working in water, sanitation and hygiene-related fields, has been held at Savelugu in the Savelugu/Nanton District to mark the Global Hand Washing With Soap Day.
The United Nations instituted the day to promote washing of hands because hand washing with soap will lead to reduction of infection rates of diseases and more lives saved.
The durbar took the form of speeches, drama displays and presentation of sanitation facilities to some selected schools.
The Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba, in an address read on his behalf, noted that diarrhea, respiratory track infections and the H1N1 virus were among the biggest killers of young children and vulnerable adults in developing countries.
He stated that 14 out of 71,149 reported diarrhea cases in the region resulted in deaths in 2008, while 11 deaths occurred between October 2009 and this year, whereas 20 deaths were recorded from respiratory infections out of over 100,000 cases in the past two years, with 10 confirmed H1N1 cases from a suspected number of 75 patients.
These diseases, Mr. Mabengba, said were easily spread through contact with infected surfaces, body fluids from infected persons and improper handling of foods and consumables.
Such cases, he said could be avoided by simply adopting safer and appropriate hygienic practices like hand washing with soap, and therefore hoped that the celebration would not become annual rituals but truly reflect in the everyday lives of Ghanaians.
Ms. Georgina Amidu, Communication for Development Programme officer at UNICEF, said it recognized the potential of children as agents of hand washing behaviour change, and was thus encouraging the provision of water and sanitation facilities in schools.
She said UNICEF would continue to support hand washing activities to ensure the safety of all children as part of efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
For his part, Mumuni Osman, Programme Manager of World Vision Ghana’s Rural Water Project, partners for the programme, said the organisation had spent about $6.1 million in the Northern and Upper East Regions under a water sanitation and hygiene project for human development.
He explained that through the use of environmental health clubs, drama groups and student focus groups, the project had created the condition for children themselves to be agents of change in their schools, families and communities.
The Savelugu/Nanton District Chief Executive, Prince Askia Mohamed, said 30 basic schools in the district had been provided with hand washing facilities to help reduce diseases.
He also announced that the assembly had began an exercise to screen food vendors and urged the children to positively influence their communities with the message of hands being washed with soap.
The United Nations instituted the day to promote washing of hands because hand washing with soap will lead to reduction of infection rates of diseases and more lives saved.
The durbar took the form of speeches, drama displays and presentation of sanitation facilities to some selected schools.
The Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba, in an address read on his behalf, noted that diarrhea, respiratory track infections and the H1N1 virus were among the biggest killers of young children and vulnerable adults in developing countries.
He stated that 14 out of 71,149 reported diarrhea cases in the region resulted in deaths in 2008, while 11 deaths occurred between October 2009 and this year, whereas 20 deaths were recorded from respiratory infections out of over 100,000 cases in the past two years, with 10 confirmed H1N1 cases from a suspected number of 75 patients.
These diseases, Mr. Mabengba, said were easily spread through contact with infected surfaces, body fluids from infected persons and improper handling of foods and consumables.
Such cases, he said could be avoided by simply adopting safer and appropriate hygienic practices like hand washing with soap, and therefore hoped that the celebration would not become annual rituals but truly reflect in the everyday lives of Ghanaians.
Ms. Georgina Amidu, Communication for Development Programme officer at UNICEF, said it recognized the potential of children as agents of hand washing behaviour change, and was thus encouraging the provision of water and sanitation facilities in schools.
She said UNICEF would continue to support hand washing activities to ensure the safety of all children as part of efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
For his part, Mumuni Osman, Programme Manager of World Vision Ghana’s Rural Water Project, partners for the programme, said the organisation had spent about $6.1 million in the Northern and Upper East Regions under a water sanitation and hygiene project for human development.
He explained that through the use of environmental health clubs, drama groups and student focus groups, the project had created the condition for children themselves to be agents of change in their schools, families and communities.
The Savelugu/Nanton District Chief Executive, Prince Askia Mohamed, said 30 basic schools in the district had been provided with hand washing facilities to help reduce diseases.
He also announced that the assembly had began an exercise to screen food vendors and urged the children to positively influence their communities with the message of hands being washed with soap.
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