The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has urged traders to ensure the regular practice of proper handwashing and hygiene in order to prevent diseases such as cholera, COVID among others that can be transmitted as a result of improper hygiene.
The Minister made this call while addressing some traders at the Kejetia Market on the occasion of the Global Handwashing day on Saturday October 15 in Kumasi.
Abena Dapaah underscored the need for a collaborative effort among relevant stakeholders for sustainable hand hygiene interventions.
The Sanitation Minister further highlighted the benefits of proper handwashing as she reiterated the need for the traders and all Ghanaians to practice proper hygiene.
“Proper handwashing with soap helps to remove germs from our hands, which helps to prevent transmission of respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases including cholera. It is important to note that handwashing has multiple benefits including improved wellbeing, dignity, educational fulfilment and productivity.”
Abena Dapaah therefore appealed to the general public to prioritize handwashing activities and basic hygiene in their daily activities. “We should all remember that Prevention is better than cure and healthy people make a healthy nation, Our future is in our hands, let’s prioritize hand hygiene issues,” she said.
Global Handwashing Day is celebrated every year on 15 October. The day is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
As part of occasions to mark this year’s global handwashing day, Global Communities and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources commemorated the day at Kejetia Market in Kumasi to educate the traders about the importance of handwashing, and also to caution them about the risk factors involved in not washing hands regularly.
The event featured plays and skits performed by the traders on the significance of proper handwashing and hygiene practices.
The theme for this year’s global handwashing day was: “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene.”
The Sanitation Minister also donated ten handwashing veronica buckets to the traders to be placed at strategic locations to facilitate easy handwashing by the traders.
The president of the Kumasi Petty Traders’ Association, Nana Prempeh, who received the donations on behalf of the traders at New Kejetia market, thanked the Minister for the gesture and assured that the items will serve their intended purpose, and also appealed for more of such items to facilitate proper handwashing in the market.
Asaaseradio