Ghana marks Global Hand Washing Day
Accra, Oct 15, GNA - Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, has appealed to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Ghana Education Service to put up pragmatic plans that would promote hand washing with soap and water on Monday in Accra.
Mr Mensah quoting a statistic from the GHS said there had been 5,800 reported cholera cases resulting in sixty deaths from January to September this year.
“This is sad, because these are people who should not have been ill at all in the first place. Cholera can easily be avoided by keeping our environment clean and simply washing our hands with soap, after using the toilet and before handling food - that is before cooking, serving or eating.”
He made the appeal at the commemoration of the 2012 Global hand washing day celebration, which was aimed at inspiring commitment, fostering a global and local culture of hand washing with soap and supporting the campaign for the prevention of cholera.
The day was on the theme: “Five years of global hand washing day celebration: going beyond the fifth birthday of children”.
Madam Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment Science and Technology at the celebration encouraged teachers to have hand washing places at vantage points on school compounds to help inculcate the habit of hand washing with soap and water in the pupils.
Dr. Gloria Quansah said this year’s theme could not have been more appropriate and timely, particularly in the face of Ghana’s renewed committed towards reducing mortality to its barest minimum in children less than five years.
“It is important to note that more than half of under-five child deaths are due to diseases that are preventable and treatable through simple and affordable interventions, one of which is washing hands with soap,” she added.
She said hand washing with soap and water was the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infection.
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