The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called on both the Federal and state governments to invest in hand hygiene for improved public health and to strengthen economic resilience in Nigeria.
UNICEF's Chief of Field Office, Bauchi, Mr Tushar Rane, made the call in Bauchi on Monday at the commemoration of the 2022 Global Handwashing Day.
According to him, governments, development partners, private sector, academic institutions must join hands to advocate for, and to make handwashing a centerpiece of healthy practices beyond the 15th of October of every year.
He appreciated Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state for assenting to a bill to convert the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) units into WASH departments in the state.
The UNICEF boss said this would institutionalise and support funding for WASH-related activities in Bauchi state.
He further revealed that Bauchi state was among the leading states in the implementation of WASH related interventions in Nigeria, adding that the state presently has seven LGAs that had attained the status of Open Defecation Free (ODF).
Rane added that UNICEF was optimistic that the Bauchi state government would support the full implementation of the state's ODF road map designed to end open defecation by 2025, and subsequently contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
"To encourage development partners to sustain funding support for WASH interventions in all the 20 LGAs of Bauchi State, we would like to suggest that the state government should consistently release project capital cost to provide WASH facilities for all communities, schools, and primary health centres.
"The state government should also facilitate monthly release of project LGAs operational fund to the LGA WASH departments by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to sustain project implementation at the LGA and community levels," he said.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr Ahmad Jalam, said this year's commemoration has become more important as the simple and effective practice of hand washing with soap and clean water had been shown to be the first line of defence against the spread of coronavirus and cholera among other diseases.
Represented by Mr Adamu Ali, Director, Water Supply, Ministry of Water Resources, the commissioner said that WASH is one of the key priorities of governor Mohammed, adding that significant progress had been made in the improvement of access to safe water supply and effective sanitation in the state.
"I want to assure you that this government is resolutely committed to sustaining and accelerating progress in access to safe water supply, effective sanitation and good hygiene practices for the continued betterment of the lives of our people," he said.
The theme of this year's hand washing day is 'Unite for universal Hand Hygiene'.
October 15 is Global Handwashing Day, which is a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
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