Schools in Teso North Sub-County have been urged to restore non-functional handwashing facilities amid concerns over declining hygiene practices since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking during the Global Handwashing Day celebrations at Malaba Dispensary, Teso North Sub-County Public Health Officer Dennis Wekesa said about 100 schools in the area had handwashing facilities, most of which were no longer in use.
He urged school administrators to repair the facilities and ensure learners had access to clean running water and soap.
Wekesa observed that handwashing became widespread during the COVID-19 pandemic, when heightened hygiene measures helped communities guard against infections, but the practice had since declined.
He urged residents to wash their hands at critical times, including before eating and preparing food, after visiting the toilet, when visiting health facilities, and before breastfeeding or changing babies’ diapers.
He said proper handwashing with soap and clean water helps to prevent the spread of bacteria, viruses and other germs that cause illnesses such as diarrhoea and the common cold, among others.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), handwashing education in communities can reduce diarrhoeal illnesses by 23 to 40 per cent and respiratory illnesses, including colds, by 16 to 21 per cent.
This year’s Handwashing Day was marked under the theme “Be a Handwashing Hero”, with the Public Health Officer calling on residents to make handwashing part of their daily routines to help prevent infections.
He also urged churches to install and maintain handwashing facilities to enable worshippers to observe proper hygiene during gatherings.
Busia County Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator Priscilla Juma called on stakeholders to work together to improve access to clean running water, soap and suitable handwashing facilities in communities.
Juma said awareness campaigns alone were insufficient without reliable access to the materials needed for proper hand hygiene.
She further urged healthcare facilities to strengthen hand hygiene practices, calling on medical personnel to clean their hands when attending to patients and performing medical procedures to minimise the risk of infections.
By Moses Wekesa
