By Mohammed Usman
Following this year’s hand washing commemoration day, the Minister of Water Resources, Eng. Suleiman H. Adamu has said that adopting hygiene behaviour ensure health that is crucial for gaining the full benefit of water and sanitation improvements.
The minister made this known in his keynote address delivered during the occasion of the global hand washing day commemoration at Army Children School Mambila Barracks, yesterday in abuja.
He said, “beyond life and dignity which water and sanitation represent, adoption of hygiene behaviour ensures health which is crucial for gaining the full benefit of water and sanitation improvements.” He added that hygiene promotion remains a critical element of an integrated approach to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) delivery.
Adamu said that the development and implementation of the national hygiene promotion strategy and guidelines were part of the effort of the ministry in improving access to hygiene in the country which stands at 13 percent according to the 2017 W. H. O/U. N. I. C. E. F joint monitoring programme report.
The minister who said that poor hygiene has led to over 59000 deaths of children before the age of five annually out of 1.7 million cases recorded globally, stressed it was his believe that the joint efforts of government and stakeholders at all levels in raising awareness on hand washing would bring about healthy society and economically buoyant nation.
In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Water Ministry, Dr. Musa Adamu, said that behavioural change was essential for making hand washing a habit, adding; “that is the reason why the ministry i collaboration with other stakeholders in promoting ‘ WASH in and though schools’ and ‘WASH’ in primary health centers.
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