Efio-Ita Nyok|8 October 2017
Wife of the Executive Governor of Cross River state, Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Linda Ayade, Saturday, disclosed to newsmen and stakeholders in the health sector of the state that the culture of hand washing plays a contributory role in ensuring the good health she has enjoyed over the years NegroidHaven can report.
Dr Ayade made this known in commemoration of Global Hand Washing Day 2017 billed for 15th October in a Breakfast Meeting held at Office of the Wife of the Governor complex, Moore Road, Calabar. Her Excellency, while expressing profound delight in hosting hygiene and sanitation stakeholders in Cross River, observed that hand washing constitute an inexpensive way of preventing diseases. Ayade further informed that she was looking forward to formally partnering with United Purpose in view of making a huge impact in Cross River.
According to her, 'Perhaps, a contributory reason for the good health I have enjoyed over the years is because I have continually washed my hands with soap over a dozen times daily. And this is one of the most inexpensive ways of preventing diseases and staying healthy!
'United Purpose, through the RUSHPIN and CHISHPIN programmes, has reached an estimated 1,844 communities in the six LGAs of Cross River State out of which 1,325 are now Open Defecation-Free and practicing safe hygiene. I believe that in the near future, the State Government will be able to raise some more of the required counterpart funding ensure that other parts of the state can be impacted by the campaign that has made Obanliku Local Government Area the first Open Defecation-Free LGA in Nigeria.
'I am counting on the budding relationship that has developed between MDF, United Purpose and myself: together we can make a huge impact on Cross River State and I look forward to the development of a document that will articulate an even closer working partnership between us for the good of Cross Riverians', Ayade said earlier.
Her Excellency said that her pet project, namely, Mediatrix Development Foundation (MDF) has been collaborating with the state Water Board Ltd to provide running water in secondary schools located in the state metropolis. According to Dr Ayade, 'For the last several months, MDF has been working with the CRS Water Board Ltd to ensure the availability of running water in schools within Calabar while at the same time making efforts to help public schools in other parts of the state develop the habit of handwashing. We call this project the Clean Hands Campaign and we know that impact is already being created in the over 50 schools where we have established health clubs'.
Her Excellency declared the Global Hand Washing Day open, signed the declaration and demonstrated handwashing.
Present at the Breakfast Meeting were Country Director, United Purpose, Tim Connell; Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong; DG of Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu; Hand Washing Ambassador, Sunny Neji; DG of RUWATSA, representatives of PZ Cussons Foundation, Premier Cool, Carex, etc.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven
