By Joseph Joy and Amarachi Daniel

The Chairman, Udenu Local Government Area, Hon Akachukwu Eze Akachukwu has called for improved hygiene practices particularly hand washing as a preventive measures against diseases.

Hon Eze made the call at the Headquarters if the Udenu LGA on Tuesday while marking the 2024 Global hand washing day.

Global Handwashing Day is a world healthcare event celebrated on the 15th of October every year to create awareness and understanding about the need for handwashing with soap as a simple, effective, and affordable way to avoid diseases.

On this day, various local, national, and international organisations join together and conduct several awareness campaigns (for the local public), workshops, educational programs and demonstrations to create awareness about the importance of handwashing with soap and water.

To mark the event in his area, Hon Eze led a community engagement initiative aimed at promoting hygiene and sanitation practices among the everyday people of the Local Government Area especially the Youths. The event was organized by Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program officers and took place in the Local Government Secretariat’s Multipurpose Hall.

The demonstration exercise featured Udenu Local Government Chairman, who, alongside his Deputy Hon Onyinye Anthonia Odoh, showcased proper hand washing techniques to an enthusiastic audience comprising school children, members of the WASH program team, and other residents of Udenu.

During the session, Hon. Odoh emphasized the critical importance of maintaining proper hygiene and sanitary conditions as a defense against diseases. “Healthy habits begin with us. It is essential for everyone, especially our children, to be conscious of their hygiene practices. Regular hand washing with soap can significantly reduce the spread of preventable diseases,” she stated.

Akachukwu in his speech reinforced the significance of the event, urging residents to align with the Enugu State Government’s WASH policies and the vision of Governor Peter Mbah for a healthier and safer Enugu State. “WASH is not just a policy; it is a commitment towards ensuring a sustainable and clean environment for future generations. I urge the people of Udenu to take these hygiene practices seriously,” he said.

The event attracted considerable attention, serving as a platform for education and awareness about the importance of clean water and sanitation in everyday life. Participants were given firsthand experience with the hand washing techniques, reinforcing the skills necessary to maintain personal hygiene.

The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Why are clean hands still important?”

The United Nations have noted that where hand hygiene facilities are available, research has shown that people, especially men, do not use them consistently. Greater political support and behaviour change interventions are needed to make substantial improvements in the policies, strategies and actions that drive sustainable change.

Research shows that 2.3 billion people do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home globally while
almost half of schools lack a handwashing facility with water and soap, affecting some 802 million school-age children.

Roughly half of health-care facilities lack hand hygiene facilities at points where patients are treated. UNICEF supports national handwashing campaigns and helps integrate handwashing into other existing programmes – like health, education and nutrition – in over 90 countries.

According to research, community handwashing education can provide the following benefits:
— Reducing around 23%–40% in the number of patients who become ill with diarrhoea.
— Reducing 29%,— 57% in the number of missed school days by children due to gastrointestinal illness.
— Reducing 58% of diarrheal sickness in patients with compromised immune systems.
— Reducing around 16%—21% of respiratory infections such as colds in the general population.

The primary causes of death in children under the age of five are pneumonia and diarrhoea, so Global Handwashing Day is a platform to design and implement unique strategies to urge people to wash their hands with soap, especially during necessary times.