- amplify campaign at world hand hygiene day
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has appealed to Nigerians to, individually and collectively, champion the campaign for improved hand hygiene in the society, stressing that hand hygiene is key to infectious disease control.
NCDC, at an event to mark the 2025 world hand hygiene day at the Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, noted that hand-washing is always first in the preventive measures of most infectious diseases’ outbreaks recorded globally some of which are more deadly than expected.
Dr. Tochi Okwor, the Head of Disease Prevention and Control at the NCDC, told participants at the event that hand-washing and general hand hygiene has helped to save many lives that could have been terminated by several communicable diseases.
She further stated that hand hygiene is a cornerstone for health security, emphasising that decades of research have proved that it is the single most effective intervention against healthcare-associated infections and the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms.
Dr. Okwor noted that though Nigeria’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) initiatives have been effective, state governments need to support the effort by also establishing budget lines for IPC.
“Adequate Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities should be made available at all public facilities, and even at homes to enable the people to practice hand-washing and general hand hygiene,” she suggested
Mandate Secretary of Health Services & Environment in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, in her remarks, lamented that progress made during Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks as regards hand hygiene has been lost, and complacency had obviously set in which ought not to be.
Dr. Fasawe represented by the Director, Clinical Diagnostics Services, Dr. Osayande Osagie challenged all stakeholders to redouble their efforts, particularly as regards the campaign for improved hand hygiene among Nigerians.
She advocated the introduction of structured training programmes such as a diploma in infection prevention, which would pave the way for higher standards of care and a more robust IPC system in the country.
Earlier, the Medical Director of Maitama District Hospital, Dr. Rita Idemudia noted that more than 60 per cent of infectious diseases could be prevented simply by practising good hand hygiene at the right time and in the right manner.
Dr. Idemudia recalled the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, lamenting that the country’s commitment to rigorous hand-washing often fades once the crisis ends.