Resources / Global Handwashing Day in Nigeria

First Lady, Hajia Turai Yara’dua on Tuesday May 20 2008 launched the National Hand Washing Campaign in Abuja, Nigeria. The event which had in attendance top government officials, wives of government officials, members of Civil Society Organizations, stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector, media and school children witnessed the symbolic hand washing by the wife to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Hajia Yara’dua stressed the importance of hand washing in breaking the transmission of diseases. She said commitment to wash hands at critical moments can mark an end to many diseases like diarrhea, cholera among others and expressed her commitment to supporting the promotion of the hand washing campaign as well as provision of clean water and sanitation in Nigeria. The First Lady thereafter performed the symbolic hand washing signaling the launch of the campaign.

Minister of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, Hajia Halima Tayo Alao in her address said the National Hand Washing campaign was part of the activities for the 2008 International Year of Sanitation. She said the campaign was a global initiative for promoting good hygiene practices as a strategy for improved public health.

She said: ‘‘the act of hand washing appears simple and often taken for granted, yet it is rated as the most important thing to do to prevent ill health. Many people do not practice the basic personal hygiene of washing the hands before cooking or serving food at homes/restaurants, or after using the toilets’’.

The Minister said the campaign will move to all the six geopolitical zones of the country in line with the third target of the national plan of action which is hygiene promotion.

She said the federal government has established the environmental health officers’ registration council of Nigeria and the national environmental standards regulations enforcement agency in order to ensure proper sanitation across the country.

UNICEF Country Representative, Dr. Linlim Robert said that there are clear scientific evidence that support the practice of hand washing, stating that hand washing reduces diarrhea by 30%. He also noted that the prevalence of diarrhea in Nigeria is about 18% and that 60% of infants under five are caused by diarrhea. He called on the Nigerian populace to adopt hand washing as a way of life and re-orient them through a collective effort.

The Country Representative WaterAid Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan Burton “when the right hand washes the left hand, and the left hand washes the right the two will become clean”. This he used this to stress the need for all stakeholders to collaborate to amplify the message on good hygiene practices and also the need for water and sanitation to be on the agenda in the G8 summit scheduled to hold in June in Japan. He called on President Umaru Yara’dua to commit to more and better funding for water and sanitation by becoming the Water Ambassador for Nigeria and Africa.

Highlight of the launch include the exhibition of a documentary by WaterAid Nigeria on Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). The documentary revealed the sanitation situation in Nigerian and the steps that had been taken to address the problem of open defecation;

The launch was followed up with a rally at two highly populated market and Motor Park in Abuja on Wednesday 21^st May 2008 projecting the messages of hand washing to the people.

These photos may be reproduced freely with appropriate credit given to the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). If possible, please send a courtesy copy upon publication to wsscc@wsscc.org.