Considering the rapid increase in hygiene-related diseases, governments at all levels in the country have been urged to invest in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues with the provision of qualitative water in all communities to curb future pandemics.
As its own way of joining in the fight, WaterAid Nigeria has launched a hygiene response programme, ‘Scale-Up Hygiene Project-Phase II’ which is aimed at creating awareness in preventing the spread of Cholera and COVID-19 outbreaks.
The launched COVID -19 response intervention is to help vulnerable communities in protecting themselves against the spread of the novel disease as well as other communicable diseases.
The disclosure was made on Thursday by the Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Evelyn Mere while speaking at a one-day stakeholders meeting held at Bagari Suites in Bauchi.
She said that the project which is supported by Nigerian Breweries Plc/HEINEKEN Nigeria has its second phase focusing on consolidating on the gains and positives of the first phase and ramping up existing hygiene promotion interventions and campaigns to increase access to improved hygiene, reduce the spread of the virus, and support national and sub-national governments to integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene into their COVID-19 response and vaccination strategy.
The Country Director said that “To achieve this, WaterAid will empower communities with context-specific hygiene behaviour change promotion tools, insights and materials designed to help them protect themselves from infectious diseases including COVID-19”.
Evelyn Mere added that “The project will increase access to non-contact and inclusive hand-washing facilities in key strategic locations and deepen advocacy strategies to key government stakeholders in order to prioritize, integrate and sustain water, sanitation, and hygiene access”.
This according to her will serve as a key preventive method for fighting against diseases spread and ensure preparedness against future pandemics.
She disclosed that “The first phase of the project was successful in reaching and equipping 21 million residents in Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, and Oyo states and the FCT with context-specific hygiene information, encouraging the practice of good hygiene, using different promotional cues and touch-points, including national, state and community TV and radio stations.”
Evelyn Mere further said that: “With emerging new variants of the coronavirus, thousands of people are exposed to the risk of contracting the disease. Whilst the world has urgently risen to the challenge of COVID -19 by introducing vaccine administration, every year, hundreds of thousands of lives are silently lost because of lack of clean water, decent toilets, and hygiene.”
“There is no doubt that urgent actions to sustain access to water, sanitation and hygiene are needed as a long-term strategy to fight against disease spread and ward off future pandemics. With the major achievements recorded from the first phase of the project, we are expecting that the second phase of the project will deliver on strengthening government structures for better water, sanitation, and hygiene access,” She said.
She expressed confidence that “Having these basic human rights in place helps to stop infectious diseases in its tracks and helps vulnerable communities build back better from economic downturns inflicted by the pandemic.”
The WaterAid Nigeria Country Director added that “The government must respond now to providing infrastructure that sustains water, sanitation and hygiene at all levels, especially given its vital role in preventing disease spread and ensuring pandemic preparedness against future disease outbreaks.”
Also speaking at the meeting, Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc/Heineken Nigeria, Sade Morgan said, said: “There is concrete proof that good hygiene habits are critical in the eradication of diseases and, COVID-19 is no different. Heineken is proud to be supporting phase II of the Scale-Up Hygiene project with WaterAid Nigeria as part of our response to COVID-19.”
Sade Morgan expressed optimism that, “By building on the success of phase 1 of the project, we are optimistic that there will be a greater positive impact on the health and general wellbeing of the selected communities.”
Other stakeholders at the meeting particularly CSOs and government agencies that are in charge of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) related programs commended WaterAid Nigeria and NB Plc/Heineken Nigeria for the collaboration which they opined will go a long way in ameliorating the hardship faced by rural communities in terms of WASH issues.
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