2017 Hand Washing Day- Aregbesola, EU/UNICEF Commended.

This year Global Hand washing which is an annual global advocacy day celebrated on every 15th October to increase the awareness and understanding about the importance of hand washing with soap and water as an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent the outbreak of infectious/faeco- oral diseases and save the lives of people has come and gone.

The theme for this year celebration was tagged “Our Hands, Our Future” organized by EU/UNICEF in collaboration with Osun State government.

At a programme to celebrate the day, the governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was highly commended for providing a conducive and healthy environment for the development of all and sundry in the State as one of his six-Point Integral Action Plan.

According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Water Resources, Rural Development and Community Affairs, Mr. Tunde Ibirogba who gave the commendation in his keynote address at the celebrations, the campaign against open defecation throughout the
State being spearheaded by the CLTS Ambassador, who is the wife of the
Governor, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola is one of the efforts geared towards restoring healthy living among the people in the State.

Ibirogba, therefore enjoined the citizens not to stop to imbibe the tenets of hand-washing to stay healthy.

In his own address, the General Manager, State of Osun Rural Water
and Environmental Sanitation Agency (RUWESA), Mr. Posi Adiatu said that, the theme for this year’s celebrations, ‘’Our hands, Our future’’ is germane in the sense that, it targets the children who are the most vulnerable to infectious diseases because of their low immunity, carelessness as well as being a powerful change agents.

Adiatu, advised students in all schools in the state to take hand washing seriously and teach their younger ones and peers the process of hand washing with soap to stay healthy.

Also in a lecture at the occasion, the guest lecturer, Dr. S. Akinde of UNIOSUN identified micro-organisms as the causative agents of infectious diseases like cholera, typhoid, measles and others, so there is the need to prevent the activities of micro-organisms through constant hand washing with water.

Also speaking, the Director of Hygiene and Sanitation under the Rural Water Environmental Sanitation Agency, RUWESA, Mr Segun Moyinoluwa charged every parents to cultivate the idea of hand washing saying the programme is for the betterment of all and sundry towards the eradication of epidemic diseases in the society.

While delivering his goodwill message, Mr. Olowole Modekai who is the UNICEF State WASH Consultant for Osun said, EU/UNICEF in collaboration with the state government supported this year global hand-washing celebration completely.

He stated that EU/UNICEF have provided 222 latrine compartments in 28 schools & 9 PHCs and with 37 group hand washing facilities in schools and health centres.

According to him, this has been complemented by the provision of 256
water facilities all between 2016 and 2017 and more are still ongoing.

Highlights of the occasion was the demonstration of hand washing with soap process to all school children and participants on the occasion.

Meanwhile, this year event in the State is more than that of the previous years which involved collective planning and execution by all MDAs and NGOs.

The MDAs involved were Ministries of Health, Information, Environment, and Education.

Others were, SUBEB, National Orientation Agency(NOA), WSSSRP( Small Town), Office of Water Resources, Rural Development and Community Affairs, RUWESA, O- Meal, NGOs, Media partners(electronics and prints).

Reported by Richard Akintade, Osogbo

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