Nana Boateng
PZ Cussons Ghana, a global manufacturer of personal care products and an active player in the global handwashing movement, has marked this year’s Global Handwashing Day celebration, with a strong call for stakeholder support in stepping up awareness on handwashing with soap.
Riding on the “Say Yes to Life” campaign, PZ Cussons Ghana, said it was committed to replicating effective ways to encourage people to observe hygiene practices by washing their hands at critical times with soap.
Nana Boateng, the African Regional Brand Manager for PZ Cussons Ghana, in a comment, said although many people know the importance of hand washing with soap, it was not automatic for everyone to wash their hands with soap.
“Handwashing should be a necessary part of our daily activities. It is to help keep us away from contacting germs and bacteria, especially for children.
“As a brand committed to hygiene and skincare, it’s important that we encourage everybody to make handwashing a habit in order to drastically reduce the incidence of diarrhea, cholera and pneumonia, which account for a high mortality rate in children under 5 years around the world,” he said.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that an estimated 1.8 million children aged 5 years and less die each year from diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, the top two causes of death among young children worldwide.
“You first have to wet your hands under running water and then you apply the soap on your hand. The second step is to rub both hands together, scrubbing the back of both hands. Thirdly, rub your fingers together and the space in-between the fingers. Then clean your fingernails and scrub the base of your thumbs. Ensure your palm, fingernails and wrists are covered with well lathered. Lastly, you rinse off the lather and wipe your hands with a clean paper towel or an air dryer.”
Calling for stakeholder engagement, Nana Boateng said the handwashing campaign should be a matter of national interest.
Global Handwashing Day is a yearly advocacy day to raise awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy and effective way to prevent diseases and save lives.
Celebrated every 15th of October, this year’s celebration is on the theme: “Our Hands, Our Future!”
As part of Carex’s celebration, this year, various hand hygiene products have been donated to several orphanages in Accra.