Speakers at a function in the city said regular hands wash with soap before eating and after discharging feces can prevent the water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia.
“Over 35 lakh children aged less than five years died of diarrhoea and pneumonia ever year across the globe … but the habit of washing hands before eating and after relieving feces can prevent the immature death from the diseases,” Local Government Division (LGD) Secretary Abdul Malek said this on Sunday while addressing the inaugural function as the chief guest marking the Global Handwashing Day-2017.
In observance of the day, the LGD organised the function on the Osmani Memorial Auditorium premises with its Additional Secretary Mahbub Hossain in the chair while UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Edouard Beigbeder and Chief Engineer of Public Health Engineering Department Sudhir Kumar Ghosh addressed the function as the special guests.
The LGD of the Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Ministry in association with different development association agencies, non-government agencies, civil society organisations and mass media has taken various programmers to observe the day with the theme “Our Hands, Our Future”.
Addressing the function, Malek said it is now proved in different countries that if someone washes hands with soap only for 20 seconds before eating and after relieving feces, the death rate from diarrheoa and pneumonia related diseases will be cut down.
On an average, over 50 tube-wells have been set up at each village across the country as the government has taken various effective and realistic measurers regarding sanitation and individual healthcare (hygiene), he added. Although the children used to die of diarrheoa and pneumonia due to drinking unsafe water from ponds, but now such kind of water-borne diseases are hardly seen, Malek said, adding that the government is setting up toilets at schools, bazaars, public places and along the roadsides. Addressing the function, Edouard Beigbeder said Bangladesh has progressed in sanitation and individual healthcare (hygiene) tremendously for government’s effective measures.
Bangladesh achievement in this regard is more remarkable than any other third world countries, he said, adding that many third world countries are now following Bangladesh as a model regarding sanitation and individual healthcare (hygiene).
Beigbeder also said UNICEF would continue working with Bangladesh in future like the past.
Later, the day’s programme was inaugurated by washing hands of different government and non-government officials, including students from different institutions of the city.
Earlier, a procession was brought out from the Education Bhaban in the city. The procession ended on Osmani Memorial Auditorium premises after parading different thoroughfares of the city.
In line with the central programmes, the day also was observed at division, district, municipality, upazila and union level across the country. Bangladesh as well the globe celebrates the Day at every October 15 since 2008 aimed at increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases as well as to save lives.
