Tema, Oct. 17, GNA – Market women at Tema Community-Two, in the Tema West Municipality, have been coached on proper handwashing techniques as a COVID-19 preventive measure.
The exercise, organised by the Tema West Municipal Education Directorate, was in commemoration of the International Handwashing Day, on the theme: « Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together. »
The Day seeks to promote hand washing with soap under running water as an effective and affordable way of preventing diseases to save lives.
Mrs Vida Budu William, the School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator, Tema West Municipal Education Directorate, told the Ghana News Agency that hand hygiene was a fundamental component of health and safety.
She said the market women were targeted because they mostly found themselves in crowded areas and were most at risk of contracting germs, and were also likely to spread those bacteria when they got to their homes where children could be affected.
One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to stop the spread of germs and diseases, including COVID-19, was proper hand washing with soap under running water, she said.
Mrs Budu William noted that teaching people, especially market women, about handwashing helped them and their families to stay healthy and productive.
She said proper handwashing had been demonstrated in all schools across the Municipality as a Covid-19 preventive measure and for improved health amongst pupils.
The SHEP Coordinator said increasing hand hygiene monitoring to ensure adherence among teachers, students, and staff at schools was being done on a sustained basis.
« It is key to reinforce the importance of proper handwashing with soap under running water thoroughly for 20 seconds,” she said.
She appealed to the Government to consider increasing access to hand hygiene infrastructure and supplies such as sinks, portable handwashing stations, and hand sanitizer dispensers in all schools across the Municipality to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The market women, who took turns to demonstrate the proper hand washing techniques as was taught, expressed excitement at the training saying it was a good exposure to enhance their trading activities devoid of ill health.
