Hand washing with water and soap is still the most effective way of preventing diseases rather than the use of hand sanitizers, Mr Kofi Essel, Principal Regulatory officer of the Food and Drugs Board (FDA) has said.

He said people; especially food vendors and commuters should, therefore, use running water and soap to wash hands regularly to help protect them from diseases like cholera.

“Hand sanitizers are most effective after one has thoroughly washed their hands with water and soap before they apply such sanitizers," Mr Essel explained in an answer to a food vendor who asked whether sanitizers could be used in place of water and soap.

A team of FDA officials led by Mr Essel and Mr Edward Archer, Head of the Public Education Unit of FDA on Friday engaged food vendors at Danfa in the Adenta Municipality and Madina market to educate them on how to keep a clean environment as they prepare food to sell.

The interactions are part of FDA’s routine public education for vendors and commuters.

Mr Essel said people should no longer wash their hands in a bowl with water whether at home or when they eat at restaurants but should ensure that they wash their hands under running water or into an empty bowl while someone pours water on their hands.

He said in the face of the cholera outbreak in parts of the country, which should not have happened in the first place, ensuring food safety was critical and that demands a shared responsibility from all and sundry.

“Let’s all come together to ensure that the food we consume are safe. We should prepare food in a hygienic environment, freeze or heat them before we eat” Mr Essel advised.

He asked the vendors to introduce good catering practices and also cover their food properly as they sell to commuters and the general public.

Mr Archer on his parts demonstrated how hands are properly washed to the vendors by washing in between the hands, finger tips, back of hands and wrist in running water with soap.

He said food vendors should also check their health status as that was very important, adding, “you play a lot of role in ensuring the health of the people, so you need to ensure that the food you sell are hygienic."

Mr Archer further advised the general public to avoid patronizing uncovered food and those being sold around gutters.

Madam Mary Womegah and Ms Fati Alhassan, food vendors at the Madina Lorry station admitted the fact that food should be prepared in a hygienic environment and called on their colleagues to practice good hygiene to save the lives of their clients.