Ghana joined the rest of the world yesterday to mark World Handwashing Day (GHD), with a call on the public to adopt hand hygiene as a daily lifestyle, not a one-day activity.
This is because handwash, the simplest act as it may seem, remains one of the most powerful public health interventions ever known, as it does not only prevent diseases but also saves lives, and protects families and communities.
Global Handwashing Day is celebrated annually on October 15, and it is used to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene for preventing diseases and to encourage policy and community-level change.
The Minister of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, who made the call yesterday in Accra, emphasised that hand hygiene, particularly proper handwashing with soap under running water, remained critical in reducing the risk of infections and disease outbreaks.
On the theme: “Be a Handwashing Hero,” this year’s WHD underscores the significance of proper washing of hands among the citizenry, especially in healthcare settings and institutions.
The commemoration included the signing of a pledge where participants pledged their commitment to be a Handwashing Hero to save lives.
The pledge read: “I pledge to wash my hands at all times—before eating, after using the toilet, after caring for children, after handling waste and whenever hygiene demands. I pledge to promote handwashing in my home, school, workplace, community and to support initiatives and policies that ensure access to handwashing facilities for all Ghanaians. Today, I commit to be handwashing hero—saving lives with every wash. So help me God.”
Mr Ahmed Ibrahim lamented that many public schools and rural health centres still lacked access to functional handwashing facilities, calling on stakeholders to strengthen local leadership, secure dedicated financing, promote community ownership, and ensure continuous education and enforcement to sustain hygiene promotion.
“Handwashing is not only about health, it is the foundation of national resilience and sustainable development,” he said.
He entreated all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies to collaborate with trader associations to ensure that every building or every trading point has a visible functioning handwashing station.
“Let us make Ghana a country where clean hands are a shared identity, a patriotic duty, and a public health norm,” the Minister added.
Other partners, including the World Bank, UNICEF, World Health Organisation, Ministry of Health, Ghana Education Service, CONIWAS, and the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, pledged their support for the government’s efforts to promote hand hygiene and improve access to handwashing facilities.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA & SARAH KWAKYE
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