Lack of toilet, hand washing facilities spread Diarrhea-Expert

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

Permanent Secretary Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency(RUWASSA)Mr.Garba Babaji Magaji has said lack of toilets and hand washing facilities can lead to the spread of Diarrhea.
Other diseases related to lack of hand washing and toilets include dysentery,cholera and other viral infections such as pneumonia, measles.
Magaji made this known yesterday in Bauchi at a press conference to mark the 2017 Global Hand Washing Day set aside by the United Nations’General Assembly
He explained that “October 15 of every year is set aside to create awareness and understanding about the importance and benefits of the simple act of washing hands with soap or ash as an effective way of preventing diseases”.
“The day is also to foster and support a global an local hand washing with soap or ash at critical times,highlight on the state of hand washing with soap or ash in communities across the world”.
According to him”this year’s theme is”Our Hands,Our Future”,which enjoins people to wash their hands before eating and after going to the toilet.
Magsj, further stated that, “records show that a large proportion of deaths recorded each year, especially in developing societies such as ours, are related to poor access to water, sanitation with more than half of such deaths attributed to diarrheal disease with children mostly affected.”
But opined that washing hands with soap or ash regularly according to records available reduces death by 50 per cent and pneumonia by 25 per cent.