Ghanaians urged to adopt hand washing practices

Dr Gustav M Osiakwan, the Bono and Ahafo Regional Director of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has urged Ghanaians to make the practice of hand washing a regular habit to improve personal hygiene.He expressed worry that hand washing with soap which became acceptable practice of most of the people during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic had gone down now, and urged the public to endeavour to re-adopt the practice.Dr Osiakwan gave the advice at a durbar to mark the celebration of the Global Hand washing Day, held at Ayomso, a farming community in the Asunafo North Municipality of the Ahafo Region on the theme 'why are clean hands still important'.He regretted that access to hand washing facilities including veronica buckets which were sited at most of the public places and institutions in the COVID era were no more.Dr Osiakwan said hand washing protected people against germs, bacteria, and viruses, saying statistics showed that 'our hands come into contact with approximately 10,000 ger ms'.He advised everybody to prioritise hand and personal hygiene to prevent the spread of harmful pathogens.Mr Yaw Osei-Boahen, the Asunafo North Municipal Chief Executive said facilities for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) services ought to promote and improve hand washing practices in the country.He commended the CWSA for leveraging technology to enhance the management of water systems, saying implementation of innovations including smart taps, meters, and solar farms had greatly reduced energy costs in water production.Mr Osei-Boahen said the construction of new water systems and the rehabilitation of existing ones had improved access to clean water and sanitation facilities.Miss Harriet Onita Botchway, a Representative of the International Reference Centre (IRC), WASH-Ghana, stressed that hand washing with soap remained an effective and affordable method of disease prevention and control and protecting oneself against diarrhoea, cholera, and respiratory infections.'Clean hands do not onl y protect oneself, but also safeguard families, communities and children', she stated saying 'a simple act of hand washing with soap shields us from the numerous preventable illnesses'.Mrs Botchway therefore called on stakeholders to help intensify public education on hand washing with soap.Earlier, school children held a procession on the streets of Ayamso to create public awareness about the Global Hand Washing Day.Source: Ghana News Agency