By Ajuma Edwina Ogiri
Abuja
As the world celebrates the seventh Global Hand washing Day, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has noted that the fight against Ebola further underscores the importance of hand washing with soap in disease prevention and spread.
A press statement signed by the communication officer of UNICEF, Geoffrey Njoku, noted that the agency has been supporting the governments in raising awareness about Ebola in Nigeria, as well as in other affected countries, working to counter misconceptions about the disease that put even more people at risk.
Njoku stated that in the fight against the spread of Ebola Virus Disease, hand washing with soap has been an important tool, an additional line of defence.
According to the statement, in Nigeria, more than 10 million people will be reached with hand washing messages through various activities planned for this year’s commemoration of Global hand washing Day, adding that nationwide hand washing promotion through high profile hand washing demonstrations in schools and communities, mass rallies, road shows, airing of jingles on radio and television, and dissemination of hand washing messages on U-Report, Facebook and Twitter have been planned for creating massive awareness on hand washing with soap in the country.
The statement also noted that every year over 150,000 children die from diarrhoea alone, largely caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene practices, adding that washing with soap is one of the cheapest, simplest and most effective means of preventing diarrhoea and pneumonia, the leading causes of child deaths in Nigeria.
The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Jean Gough, was quoted as saying “Nigeria has done well so far to contain the spread of Ebola.
“What Nigeria needs now is sustained promotion of hand washing. Let’s pledge to make hand washing with soap a national habit and reduce the number of Nigerian children who die from diarrhoea annually.
“As the Ebola response takes its toll on the health services in the affected countries, the practice of hand washing is even more important in warding off these common diseases”
Gough further said this year’s theme “Choose hand washing, Choose Health” is apt given that hand washing with soap not only protects the individual, but also protects his/her family against the infections and prevents the spread of disease outbreaks, adding that everyone can choose to wash hands with soap after using toilet & before eating/preparing food and thereby protect themselves and their families.
