WaterAid, Oyo Ruwassa, LIWOM flag off scale-up hygiene, phase two to stem COVID-19

In furtherance of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 through promoting a culture of hygiene in Oyo State, Heineken Africa Foundation (HAF) has extended its partnership with WaterAid Nigeria to begin the second phase of the Scale-Up hygiene for a duration of ten months.

The project was initially launched by WaterAid Nigeria last year as part of its COVID-19 response intervention in helping vulnerable communities protect themselves against the spread of the disease.

During the launch of the second phase at the Western Hall, Parliamentary Building, House of Assembly Complex in Ibadan, the Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria, Evelyn Mere said: “with emerging new variants of the coronavirus, thousands of people are exposed to the risk of contracting the disease.

“Whilst the word 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 fighting against disease spread and warding off future pandemics.

“With the major achievements recorded from the first phase of the project, we are expectant for better water, sanitation and hygiene access. Having these basic human rights in place helps to stop the infectious disease in its tracks and helps vulnerable communities build back better from economic downturns inflicted by the pandemic.

“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,” she said.

Also speaking, the Corporate Affairs Manager, West/Midwest, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Danjuma John-Ekele said the second phase of the project will focus on consolidating on the wins of the first phase and ramping up existing hygiene promotion interventions and campaigns to increase access to improved hygiene

He said the measure will also reduce the spread of the virus and support national and sub-national governments to integrate water, sanitation and hygiene in their COVID-19 response and vaccination strategy.

The country lead, Living Word Mission (LIWOM), Mr Marcus Williams, who also doubles as the representative of WaterAid to implement the project in Oyo State said WaterAid will through the project empower communities with context-specific hygiene behaviour change promotion tools, insights and materials designed to help them protect themselves from infectious disease including COVID-19.

He assured that the project will increase access to non-contact and inclusive handwashing facilities in key strategic locations and deepen advocacy strategies to key government stakeholders to prioritise, integrate md sustain water, sanitation and hygiene access.

Giving a review of the first phase of the effort, Mere said the first phase was successful in reaching and equipping 21 million residents in Baluchi, Benue, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna and Oyo state’s and in the FCT with context-specific hygiene information, encouraging the practice of good hygiene, using different promotional cues and touchpoints, including national, state and community TV and radio stations.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

The Dangers In Mixing Toilet Cleaner With Bleach

Few weeks ago, Eniola Oyemolade, a journalist, decided to get creative while cleaning, by mixing a toilet cleaner and a bleach together. She did this with the thought that if one product works, mixing it with another would make it even better.WaterAid, Oyo Ruwassa, LIWOM flag off scale-up hygiene, phase two to stem COVID-19

WaterAid, Oyo Ruwassa, LIWOM flag off scale-up hygiene, phase two to stem COVID-19