The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Joseph Kofi Adda has urged parliamentarians and Ghanaians in general to cultivate the habit of handwashing as part of daily activities.
Making a statement on the floor of Parliament in solidarity with the Global Handwashing Day, marked October 15 every year, the Minister said the day has been set aside by the United Nation to create awareness on handwashing by soap to improve hygiene and enhance livelihood.
Mr Adda told the House that scientific research has shown that handwashing by soap prevents diseases.
He said the practice of handwashing has become one of the major global sanitation agenda items highlighted every year to increase awareness in handwashing with soap.
The Minister indicated that the hands are principal carriers of diseases.
Therefore, washing them with soap, he said, removes germs from hands which help to prevent transmission of infections and diarrhoea diseases including cholera.
The MP for Bodi, Samson Ahi, who is a former Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, said because the hands are used for several activities, there is the need for questions such as how people can have access to clean water since 24 percent of Ghanaians do not have potable and clean water to be asked.
He cited an example of some villages where it becomes a taboo to use the little available clean water which could be use for cooking, to clean or wash hands.
The Bodi MP called on the Minister of Education to collaborate with the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources to ensure that bowls for handwashing are provided at all basic schools and always filled with water for pupils to patronize after recreation.
The MP for Effutu, Alex Afenyo Markin, was of the view that Ghanaians should also develop the habit of paying water bills to enable water to flow all the time.
He lamented that some fail to pay water bills which makes it difficult for water to flow through taps all day.
According to him, washing of hands always could be possible at all level if we have enough water to do so.
By Owoahene Omari Acheampong|Onua 95.1FM|3news.com|Ghana