Kaduna State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (Ruwassa) and UNICEF conducted 2022 Global Hand Washing Day in Kudan and Chikun to promote effective hand washing with soap among people for a healthy society.
Global Hand Washing Day is an annual event aimed at creating awareness on the benefits of effective hand washing with clean water and soap.
The theme for the 2022 edition is “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene”.
Addressing the gathering in Kudan, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna state, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, said Governor Nasir el-Rufai administration is committed to providing potable water and sanitation in rural communities as a way of preventing water and other hygiene related diseases.
Hadiza, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry for Local and Chieftaincy Affairs, said hand washing is the first hand defence in preventing the outbreak of diseases such as COVID-19, diarrhoea and Cholera among others.
She called on all stakeholders to work together in promoting hand washing culture among the people.
The Director General, Kaduna State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Engr. Mubarak Shehu Ladan, said, “Studies have shown that effective hand washing with soap or ash prevent diseases to about 45% and it is a command adage that prevention is better and cheaper than cure”.
He said the agency has provided many toilet facilities in rural communities as part of efforts to address open defecation in the state, which has started yielding positive result with Kudan and Jema’a local government area now declared open defecation free waiting for validation by the relevant stakeholders by December 2022.
Chairman Kudan local government area, Shuaibu Bawa Jaja, expressed his gratitude to RUWASSA for the provision of water and hygiene facilities in his area, promising to continue to support the initiative.
Similar exercise was conducted in Chikun local government area with stakeholders emphasising on proper hand washing to prevent the spread of some diseases.
The DG Ruwassa, who was represented by Director Finance and Administration, Muhammad Lawal Ali, restated their commitment to SDGs target of water supply and sanitation before 2025.