Kisumu County carried on with advocacy on handwashing through demonstration of handwashing techniques and distribution of sanitizers and soap to mark the global handwashing day on the 15th of October 2020.
To commemorate global handwashing day, the county health department in collaboration with partners including, WSUP, Practical Action, Care Kenya, SWAP and KIWASH distributed hand sanitizers, liquid and bar soap, targeting schools, markets and vulnerable population including Omens market, dunga beach, Kasawino, obunga and kibuye market.
The 2020 global handwashing day themed “Hand Hygiene for All” is dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives especially in a pandemic.
This year’s celebration presents important opportunities for Kisumu to capitalize on the handwashing message throughout the pandemic and pledge to work towards a partnership to help support advocacy efforts on hand hygiene.
The COVID-19 pandemic provides an important reminder that handwashing with soap and clean water is one of the simplest, most effective ways to stop the spread of coronavirus and germs.
Speaking during the official opening of the Global handwashing day marked at Kisumu County Referral Hospital (KCRH), The chief Officer for health Mr. Alphonse Ouya echoed the Importance of ‘hand hygiene for all and a more important habit to adopt to prevent Covid-19, other viruses, bacteria and germs that spread when we fail to wash our hands with soap and clean, running water. “Observing the global handwashing day is a priority particularly during this pandemic to help contain the spread of COVID-19,” said Mr. Ouya.
On his part, the county director for health Mr. Fred Oluoch explained why hand washing is important, especially at key times such as after using the bathroom, when preparing food, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
The hand washing day focused on highlighting the facts on defeating the virus and to ensure better health outcomes beyond the Coronavirus pandemic which is a blunt reminder that one of the best ways to stop the spread of the virus is hand hygiene.
The County public health officers demonstrated the hand washing technique starting with wetting hands with running water and then apply soap to cover hands. Once done, scrub all surfaces of the hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing them thoroughly in running water and drying the hands by raising them in the air to avoid germs spreading from the upper arms.
