From Basil Obasi, Abuja
The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, has reiterated the need for regular hand-washing with soap as the most affordable and effective way of preventing the spread of water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and pneumonia.
He said Nigeria loses over 150,000 children to diarrhea every year, largely caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene practices.
In a media briefing to commemorate the 2016 Global Hand-washing Day, the minister said, due to poor hygiene and sanitation, 1.7 million children reportedly die from diarrhea and pneumonia globally each year, while 242 million school days are missed due to diarrhea. Also, he said an estimated 15 per cent of patients globally develop one or more infections in hospital.
The minister noted that the theme of this year’s Global Hand-washing Day, “Make Hand Washing a Habit,” was aimed at engaging children as agents of change and catching them young through behavioural change.
According to him, hand-washing was a choice that everyone could...
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