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GOALPrime Organization Nigeria (GPON) with support from UNICEF under the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) has successfully concluded a 20-day lifesaving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention across Girei and Demsa Local Government Areas of Adamawa State.
The initiative targeted flood-affected and cholera-prone communities to restore safe water access, prevent disease transmission, and strengthen local public health resilience.
According to a release signed by Professor Christopher Chinedumuije, Country Director, GOALPrime Nigeria, “a total of 671,185 liters of water in 112 water points including hand pumps, shallow wells, and communal tanks were chlorinated across Demsa (58) and Girei (54). This effort provided thousands of households with safe drinking water, effectively breaking the transmission chain of Vibrio cholerae and other waterborne pathogens.”
Prof Chinedumuije, a *Professor of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Studies* added that the project reached over 102,249 individuals. “About 18,145 men, 26,663 women, and 57,441 children were sensitized on hand washing, safe water storage, menstrual hygiene management, and waste disposal through structured community sessions.”
GPON also conducted loudspeaker campaigns and radio awareness programmes in markets and commercial centers across Girei and Demsa.
“These campaigns reinforced hygiene behaviors, encouraged hand washing with soap, and increased vigilance against cholera outbreaks.”
Hundreds of bars of soap and handbills were distributed to households, schools, and market stalls, promoting hand washing and reinforcing preventive hygiene practices.
GPON added that it constructed 10 tippy taps (8 in schools and 2 in Primary Healthcare Facilities) to improve access to hand washing facilities and promote hygiene sustainability in learning and health environments.
To enhance infection prevention and control (IPC), GPON also distributed 50 surgical scrubs, 25 each to two Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in Girei and Demsa.
Field teams collected real-time hygiene and health data to support evidence-based decision-making and coordination with the Adamawa State WASH and Health Clusters.
Safe and chlorinated water restored to vulnerable communities has strengthened public health and infection control capacity.
It also increased hygiene awareness through mass media and community outreach as it also sustained hand washing and hygiene practices among households, women, and traders.
The 20-day GPON WASH response in Girei and Demsa underscores the organization’s commitment to timely, evidence-based, and community-driven humanitarian interventions that save lives, restore dignity, and build resilience among vulnerable populations in Adamawa State.
