Abuja – Fourteen schools in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state, have benefited from the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF’s) tippy taps project to promote hand washing practices among children.
Mr Jagmeet Uppal UNICEF’s Hygiene Promotion Consultant, made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja at the ongoing National Stakeholders Consultation Workshop on “Hygiene Promotion Strategy.’’
“The tippy taps are simple devices for hand washing with running water; a container of five litres with a small hole filled with water and tied with a stick and rope.
“The device is very hygienic and it is a visual reminder to wash one’s hands at critical times,” he said.
He said that UNICEF introduced the device to seek low cost intervention strategies to promote hand washing practices among children.
Uppal said children had been known to be change agents, saying lessons learnt on good hygiene practices could go a long way to educate
other people around on benefits of sanitation and hygiene.
“UNICEF took the initiative to introduce the group hand washing strategy and as a result if this, no fewer than 4,000 children now wash their hands at critical times.
“We also trained children and teachers on how to install their own tippy taps with support from the pupils, partners and the community.
“We have realised that children imbibe what they see, so it is important for everyone to practice good hygiene and sanitation,” Uppal said.
The consultant stated that open defecation and poor hygiene practices had caused about 88 per cent of deaths from diarrhea, adding that no fewer than 400 under-five children die daily as a result of this.
According to him, more than 70 per cent of ailments are caused by lack of good sanitation and potable water.
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He said that hygiene-related diseases were the leading causes of death in one among five children annually, stressing that this could be prevented by washing of hands with soap and water.
“Empowering children to be hygiene heroes will go a long way in promoting hand washing culture in the society.
“Children can tell their parents, friends and teachers the benefits of washing their hands at critical times.
“They could also act as change agents to reduce increasing rate of preventable deaths,” he said.
The hygiene promotion consultant called for continuous awareness to enable more Nigerians to know the benefits of hygiene and sanitation to reduce deaths arising from them.
“Hand washing with soap at critical times prevents families from getting diarrhea and other diseases.’’
Uppal noted that such critical times include, after defecation, before handling foods, before eating and before feeding a child.
According to Uppal, a recent survey carried out by UNICEF in six states found out that 82 per cent of people wash their hands with soap before meals, but only 53 per cent do so after defecation.
He sait that the survey also revealed that the practice of washing the hands with soap or ash after cleaning a child’s faeces was low at an average of 14 per cent. (NAN)