NAN-HG-16
Latrines
By Zubairu Idris
Katsina, Oct. 17, 2017(NAN) The Katsina State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) has constructed pit latrines with hand washing facilities in 110 primary schools in the state to enhance the pupils’ sanitation and personal hygiene.
The Executive Director of the agency Alhaji Aminu Dayyabu, disclosed this on Tuesday in Katsina during a press briefing as part of the activities to commemorate the 2017 United Nations Hand Washing Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the 2017 UN Hand Washing Day is: ‘Our Hands, Our Future’.
Dayyabu said that the agency had also rehabilitated pit latrines in some 350 primary schools in the state.
He also disclosed that over 600 hand pumps were constructed in some communities to improve water supply to rural dwellers in the state.
He revealed that 15,000 pupils were taught hand washing and stressed the need to inculcate the habit in them at tender age.
According to the executive director, experts on sanitation will be posted to places of worship in the state to enlighten people on the importance of hand washing.
He, therefore, urged the people to always wash their hands with soap or ash before eating, after defecating and for nursing mothers, before breast feeding.
‘’It is not a day event; we are using this medium to urge people to imbibe the culture of washing their hands regularly.
‘’By doing so, most of the water and sanitation-related diseases will be eliminated,’’ he said.
Dayyabu explained that hand washing would reduce water and sanitation-related diseases like cholera and diarrhea which accounted for high child and maternal deaths in the country.
He noted that those activities were conducted with support of the development partner, United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
RUWASSA is an agency saddled with responsibility of providing water and improving environmental sanitation in rural areas in the states. (NAN)
ZI/MNA/AMY
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Abdullahi Yusuf