CHESD harps on hand washing against diseases’ outbreak

A Non-Government Organization, Centre for Health Enhancement and Social Development (CHESD), has harped on the need for all persons to inculcate the habit of Hand-washing with soap to ensure safer health for all, just as it said practicing hand-washing may seem like a simple behavior, but it is rarely practiced globally, “ due both in part to lack of resources as well as it not being a habit.”

CHESD in line with the United Nations’ mandate is geared towards promoting global hygiene and maintaining stringent hand washing measures as a universal culture said the aims of Global Hand-washing Day include to foster and support a general culture of hand-washing with soap in all societies, Shine a spotlight on the state of hand-washing in each country as well as raise awareness about the benefits of hand-washing with soap.

In a statement signed by CHESD Chairman Board of Trustees, Iria Ailendesuan and made available to newsmen in Benin city, said the main objective of the Global Hand-washing Day (GHD) is to promote hand washing and personal hygiene, which is the first line of defence against the spread of infections such as meningitis, bronchitis, hepatitis A and most types of infectious diarrhoea including acute gastroenteritis.

While expressing concern for safe health through proper and clean hand-washing, Ailendesuan explained that each year, over 200 million people celebrate Global Hand-washing Day adding that Global Hand-washing Day (GHD) is a campaign to motivate and mobilize people around the world to improve their hand-washing habits by washing their hands with soap at critical moments throughout each day. “ It takes place on October 15 of each year. The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness of hand-washing with soap as a key approach to disease prevention,” he noted.

Citing the significance of global hand-washing Day vise a vis the importance of hand-washing, he said, “Hand washing with soap is extremely effective and the most inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infections (ARI). Pneumonia, a major ARI, is the number one cause of mortality among children under five years old, taking the life of an estimated 1.8 million children per year.”

He added that Diarrhea and pneumonia jointly account for almost 3.5 million child deaths annually noting that,” Hand-washing with soap is estimated to reduce incidents of diarrhea by thirty percent and respiratory infections by twenty-One percent in children under the age of five.