The important work of hygiene promotion should not end after the Handwashing Day yesterday, Alex O’Connor said
The Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services was speaking at Gobal Handwashing Day at Natadradave, Dawasamu, Tailevu, one of two healing water sites.
Students, teachers and villagers of Natadradave, Delakado, Vorovoro, Qelekuro and Veicorocoro crowded Natadradave Village.
“Make handwashing a habit. Every year 1.7 million children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday because of diarrhoea and pneumonia,” said Mr O’Connor.
This has been an annual event since 2010.
Mr O’Connor said: “Handwashing with soap is practiced regularly at key times, after using the toilet, before you prepare and eat food after being outside in the garden or handling rubbish and animals.
“It can dramatically reduce the risk of diarrhoea and pneumonia, which are serious illnesses that can lead to death. Hand washing with soap also prevent the spread of common infections such as influenza and trachoma.”
He added that handwashing with soap not only impacted health and nutrition, but education, economics and equity.
Mr O’Connor also encouraged the villagers, students and teachers to share the importance of handwashing from what they learned yesterday.
“The message for everyone is simple, especially mothers and fathers, family members and teachers who have a lot of influence on the health of our children, to help supervise and establish the handwashing habit,” he said.
Mr O’Connor concluded saying “Health is everybody’s business so I challenge other stakeholders to come on board to work with us.”
Edited by Jonathan Bryce
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