The kwara State branch of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), has paid an advocacy visit to St. Joseph’s Nursery and Primary School Ilorin on the occasion of the 2023 World Hand Hygiene Day.
The World Hand Hygiene Day is a day set apart by the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote the awareness of hand hygiene as a way of “saving millions of lives every year when performed at the right moments.”
This year’s celebration was themed: Accelerate action together. Save lives. – Clean your hands.
At the event held on the open grounds of the school, the Medical Women Association gave brief advocacy lectures and demonstrations before the pupils and staff of the school. Their speeches harped on the advantages and procedures of hand hygiene. Several pupils and staff came forward to practice the demonstrations of hand washing as taught by the visiting health practitioners.
Speaking to Rextun City Updates shortly afterwards, President Kwara branch of MWAN, Dr Alatishe Mohammed called on everyone to embrace hand hygiene as one of the ways of preventing infections and diseases.
She stated that they came with hand cleansing materials and primarily to encourage the pupils in regular hand washing and hygiene. According to her, the pupils and indeed everyone is encouraged to ” wash their hands before and after eating, after using the toilets and after engaging in several activities on and off the playing grounds”.
Dr Alatishe disclosed that,the Kwara State MWAN which has a temporary secretariat at the Kulende Health Center was extending similar advocacy visit to Immunization and antenatal clinics to teach mothers and pregnant women hand hygiene skills and it’s advantages as part of their World Hand Hygiene Day line up of activities.
In her Closing remarks, Head Mistress of the school, Revd. Sister Monica Obaro EHJ, thanked the team of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria for coming to the school and for the invaluable knowledge passed unto the pupils and staff members.
She called on everyone present to accept and imbibe the lessons in the activities of the day.
