Tema:The Environmental Health Department of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) observed Global Handwashing Day by educating students on hygiene and donating handwashing supplies to two local schools.
According to Ghana News Agency, the event, themed 'I am a Handwashing Hero,' gathered community leaders, school officials, health workers, teachers, and pupils to emphasize the importance of proper hand washing and maintaining environmental cleanliness. Mrs. Bridget Seyram Diapim-Fenuku, the Tema Metro Environmental Health Director, advised students on the health benefits of washing hands with soap and clean water, highlighting its role in preventing diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, and cholera.
Mrs. Diapim-Fenuku stressed that good hygiene practices enable students to stay healthy, attend school consistently, and reduce their parents' medical expenses. She warned of legal consequences for improper waste disposal and unsanitary practices.
Mrs. Doris Sunu Heartwell, a Senior Environmental Health Assistant, noted that Global Handwashing Day was established in 2008 to promote handwashing with soap worldwide. Additionally, Mrs. Mavis Nyarko, an Assistant Environmental Health Analyst, demonstrated a 12-step handwashing technique, recommending a duration of 40 to 60 seconds for effective results.
The TMA also donated handwashing basins, liquid soap, and paper towels to Twedaase Junior High School and Akodjo Junior High School. Headteachers Mrs. Rebecca Pobee and Mr. Kodwo Aggrey expressed gratitude and committed to making these resources accessible to students.
Environmental health officers encouraged students to care for the equipment properly and stated their intention to monitor its maintenance during future visits.