Upper West Environmental Health Officer Urges Handwashing Facilities in All Toilets
Upper West Regional Environmental Health Officer Alhassan Inusah Agambire is urging organisations, schools and households to include handwashing facilities whenever they build toilets.
Speaking to Info Radio in connection with Global Handwashing Day, Mr Agambire said the annual observance promotes proper hand hygiene and highlights the need for accessible facilities.
He said handwashing stations should be part of every toilet project—whether built for a household, school, institution or community. School owners, he added, should ensure pupils can wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet.
Mr Agambire said regular, thorough handwashing with soap and running water can reduce the risk of infection by 23 to 40 per cent, citing the World Health Organization.
He explained that hands can carry germs and bacteria picked up through everyday activities, including handling objects, shaking hands and using the toilet. Eating without washing one’s hands can transfer those germs to food and potentially cause illness, he said.
Proper handwashing helps break the chain of infection by removing germs or reducing their ability to cause harm, Mr Agambire added.
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