BSPHCDA Urges Traditional, Religious Leaders To Put Emphasis On Hygiene
Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BSPHCDA), is urging both traditional rulers and community leaders in the state to live up to their responsibilities of always sensitizing their subjects in their various communities on the importance of maintaining a Hygienic environment as an appropriate measure to ward off infectious diseases.
He said that infectious diseases such as cholera, COVID-19, Lassa Fever, and diarrhoea can be prevented through hygiene behavior changes related to proper storage, excreta disposal, proper food storage, and proper handling of drinking water.
Rilwanu Mohammed stated this while speaking at a one-day advocacy engagement meeting with traditional rulers and community leaders on the prevention of infectious diseases funded by WaterAid Nigeria and implemented by an NGO, Women Development Association for Self Sustainance (WODASS) held on Thursday at Hazibal Suites, Yelwa Road, Bauchi.
Represented by the Deputy Director, Disease Control and Immunization of the Agency, Haruna B. Wakili, the Executive Chairman of BASPHCDA stated that traditional rulers and community leaders have significant roles to play in achieving the set objectives of health within the communities considering the central role they occupy.
He said since they are closer to the people, they should ensure that promote hygiene education in their wards that focus on hand washing, physical distancing, and clean water storage system amongst others.
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” There is the need to always pause and reflect on the present situation of things in the communities in order to be able to know what has been done earlier which can be done differently to achieve the set objectives of a healthy society,” he said
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He called on the traditional rulers and community leaders to join hands to ensure that health indices in the communities improved, adding that all hands to be on deck for development and progress because according to him, without such collaboration, nothing meaningful can be done.
He then assured that the BSPHCDA will continue to collaborate with all relevant agencies and NGOs in the promotion of primary healthcare services among members of the community to achieve a healthy society.
Also speaking, the HOD of Inspections of Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), Haruna Suleiman said that the meeting was very important in achieving a healthy society because the traditional rulers and the community leaders have says among the communities.
Haruna Suleiman said that the importance of WASH issues cannot be overemphasised because it is the basis of living due to the fact that life itself revolves around the basic issues of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
He however lamented that people have since abandoned the COVID-19 protocol of social distancing, washing hands, and wearing face masks a development that has increased the rate of spreading of infectious diseases.
Earlier, Magaji Barde from WODASS had stated that the meeting was aimed at sensitizing the traditional rulers and community leaders on the need for them to redouble efforts in mobilizing their people on the need to adopt a healthy environment through keeping proactive measures.
