Utsev flags off ‘Global Handwashing Day’ as 177 million Nigerians lack basic hygiene

By YANGE IKYAA

The minister of water resources and sanitation, Prof. Terlumun Utsev, on Thursday flagged off the Global Handwashing Day with call for collective action towards achieving basic hygiene for all in Nigeria.

According to the 2021 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) Report, national access to basic hygiene services is at an abysmal 17%. To put it in context, this means that an estimated 171 million people lack access to basic hygiene in Nigeria, with varying disparities across urban and rural areas, geographic locations, and wealth quintiles.

In schools and healthcare facilities, access to basic hygiene is 35% and 30% respectively, while only 8% of public places such as markets and parks have basic hygiene facilities.

While a high knowledge of handwashing practices estimated at 99% was reported, in practice, only 8% of the population can demonstrate proper handwashing with water and soap under running water. In addition, only 4% are likely to practice proper handwashing with water and soap in critical times such as after defecation, touching animals or sick persons, playing and before cooking, eating, handling food, or feeding others.

In the words of the minister, “these low rankings indicate the need to review our strategies in order to strengthen our interventions for greater effectiveness and for sustainable results.

“This year’s event is very special to me for two reasons: one, because I will be flagging-off the day for the first time as the minister of water resources and sanitation and, two, because this marks the first edition after the creation of the federal ministry of water resources and sanitation.”

The media briefing was intended to enlighten Nigerians and others on the activities that are lined up to commemorate the 2023 Global Handwashing Day, which has been set aside to highlight the importance of handwashing as a tool for ensuring improved hygiene, sanitation and health.

The United Nations designated October 15 of every year for global advocacy and increasing awareness on the significance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

This day is expected to catalyse local, national and global actions and contribute to instilling the culture of handwashing with soap amongst the populace.

It is therefore considered an affordable, accessible “do-it-yourself” vaccine for sanitation and hygiene-related diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and pneumonia, which are prevalent in our communities.

The adoption of this practice is estimated to cut death rates due to diarrhoea by almost half, and deaths from acute respiratory infections by a quarter.

Handwashing is a ‘first-line’ of defence in preventing outbreaks and reducing the toll of pandemics, as can be attested from the last experience with the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.

It has also been acknowledged as an important tool in the campaigns to reduce antimicrobial resistance and end Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), such as river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, soil transmitted helminthes and schistosomiasis.

The theme of the he 2023 Global Handwashing Day is “Clean Hands are Within Reach,” which, the minister said, was deliberately selected in order to highlight the recent progress made around hand hygiene commitment and action, while also calling for more concerted efforts to ensure that the hand hygiene targets are met, in line with the Sustainable Development Goal Target 6.2.

Meeting this SDG is indicated by the availability of handwashing facilities with soap and water in homes and public premises and the accompanying reduction in disease prevalence.

Nigeria commenced the process of the development of a Hand Hygiene for All Roadmap in 2021 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The initiative was an offshoot of the Global Hand Hygiene for All Initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

The roadmap, which was launched in 2022, provided details of the policy and strategic direction to achieve hand hygiene for all, as well as a financing framework with a monitoring and evaluation plan. It is expected to help the country chart a course towards ensuring available and affordable products and services that will help entrench a culture of handwashing with soap for all, especially for the less privileged population.

The roadmap also identifies strategic goals and actions across political leadership and includes measures for creating an environment amenable for the practice.

“I am delighted to inform you that the implementation of the road- map has begun and it’s yielding positive results

“The National Task Group on Sanitation (NTGS), which is a coordinating mechanism for sanitation and hygiene at the national level, plans to undertake the following activities for the commemoration of the 2023 Global Handwashing Day:
Ongoing electronic and social media engagements on radio, television and social media platforms for a period of one month.

“The 2023 Global Handwashing Day will be officially marked in Nigeria on Monday, 16th October 2023 by the minister of water resources and sanitation, bringing together diverse stakeholders, such as government, CSOs, development partners, school children, trade unions, media and the private sector. The event will climax with the performance of symbolic handwashing by the dignitaries in attendance.

“Sensitization of Handwashing issues in public places, such as markets, primary healthcare facilities, and parks.”

The minister acknowledged and appreciated partners that are supporting these initiatives at the national level. They include Reckitt, Action Against Hunger, WaterAid, EU, UNICEF and Sightsavers, amongst others.