Though Nigeria has achieved some progress in access to basic hygiene services, it must not relent because according to the WASHNORM (2021), only 17 per cent of households have access to basic hygiene services which is a marginal increase of one percentage point when compared with 2019 WASHNORM.
The disclosure was made in a goodwill message delivered by Dr Tushar Rane, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi I Field Office at the commemoration of the 2022 Global Handwashing Day held at the Hazibal Suites, Bauchi on Monday.
He added that 99 per cent of household heads have knowledge of at least two critical times for hand washing while 8 per cent demonstrate proper handwashing with water and soap under running water.
Also according to him, 35 per cent of schools have basic hygiene services with 33 per cent in the primary while 42 per cent are in secondary schools and only one-third of health facilities have access to basic hygiene services just as only 30 per cent of health facilities have basic hygiene services.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office stressed that Health facilities in rural areas are more disadvantaged in access to hygiene services than those in urban areas while only 8 per cent of markets/motor parks have basic hygiene services with only 40 per cent of markets and motor parks have basic water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services.
He disclosed that this 2022 Global Handwashing Day, UNICEF urges governments at national and state levels to commit to investing in hand hygiene, for improved public health and to strengthen economic resilience.
He added that the COVID-19 pandemic and cholera outbreak in 2021 further highlighted the need for investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene with a significant focus on hand hygiene.
Tushar Rane expressed delight that Bauchi State is among the leading States in the implementation of WASH-related intervention in Nigeria saying that Dass and Warji LGAs are one of the first LGAs to attain and sustain ODF status.
According to him, Bauchi state presently has a total of seven LGAs that have achieved a similar feat with Toro LGA joining the list recently stressing that “UNICEF is optimistic that the Bauchi State Government will support the full implementation of the state Open Defecation Free (ODF) Road Map designed to end open defecation by 2025, and subsequently contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene”.
“I wish to thank the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed for assenting to the bill to convert the WASH units into WASH departments. This will institutionalize and support funding for WASH-related activities in the state. Bauchi State is among the leading states in the implementation of WASH-related interventions in Nigeria. Dass and Warji LGAs are one of the first in the state to attain sustained ODF status”.
“Your Excellency, 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 Bauchi State Government Consistently releases project capital cost to provide WASH
facilities for all communities, schools, and primary health centres”, he suggested.
He further urged the state government to facilitate monthly release of project LGAS operational funds to the LGA WASH Departments by the Ministry of Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs to sustain project implementation at the LGA/community levels.
He then assured that UNICEF will continue to work with the government, development partners; non-governmental organizations; religious and traditional leaders and communities, to advance the cause of children and women of Bauchi State and Nigeria.
Tushar Rane had earlier explained that Global Handwashing Day is set aside to raise awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
According to him, after the first Global Handwashing Day in 2008, when over 120 million children washed their hands with soap in more than 70 countries, leaders at community and national levels have been using Global Handwashing Day to draw attention to handwashing and to provide facilities that promote the adoption of good handwashing practices in their communities.
Though held once a year, handwashing is a practice we must encourage every time and everywhere because it saves lives.
This year, the Global Handwashing Day theme “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene” aims to reiterate that every one of us has a role to play to ensure that we sustain the progress that has been made in promoting handwashing and other good hygiene practices as life savers.
“This is more important now, as we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments, development partners, the private sector, and academic institutions must join hands to advocate for and to make handwashing a centrepiece of healthy practices beyond the 15th of October of every year.”
In his address, Bauchi State Commissioner in charge of the Ministry of Water Resources, Hon Ahmed Aliyu Jalam said that the present administration is collaborating with UNICEF to commemorate the day for the collective improvement of public health generally.
The Commissioner added that WASH is one of the key priorities of the administration stressing that in the last two years, significant progress has been made in the improvement of access to safe water supply and effective sanitation in both urban towns and rural communities.
He, however, lamented that the lack of toilets and handwashing facilities in homes and schools is negatively impacting the gains made especially in relation to public health.
The Commissioner expressed delight saying that “disparities in public health status and well-being is very clear between the over 6000 Open Defecation Free (ODF) communities in the state, especially Dass, Gamawa, Bogoro, Shira, Ganjuwa, Warji and Toro LGAs that are LGA – Wide ODF and communities and LGAs that are Open Defecation (OD) is prevalent”.
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