Saraki calls for more attention on water, sanitation

Wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Ojora Saraki has called for more attention on issues of water, sanitation and hygiene conditions in healthcare facilities across the country.

Saraki, who addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva, at the weekend, on ‘why water, sanitation and hygiene must be a priority for quality healthcare,’ called for a whole-system approach to tackling systemic failures.
 
The high-level intervention came at a symposium organised by the Governments of Zambia, Tanzania, Sweden, Japan, Germany and Eswatini, the World Health Organisation and WaterAid. 

She said: “I was honoured to speak to the representatives of governments from around the world and global institutions at the World Health Assembly to advocate for a transformation of WASH standards.

“According to UNICEF, 7, 000 newborn babies died every day in 2017, mostly from preventable and treatable conditions, including infections like sepsis, directly linked to poor WASH conditions. One in four health care facilities around the world lacks basic water services, impacting over 2 billion people.
 
“WASH conditions in healthcare facilities are our first line of defence as infection prevention and control. Dangerous conditions put not only patients in danger, but also workers on the frontlines of healthcare.”