Mrs Theodora Adomako-Adjei, Extension Services Coordinator for Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), has advised the community members of Teshie to cultivate the habits of washing their hands properly with soap and water.

She said hand washing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections which are responsible for the majority of deaths in the country.

Mrs Adomako- Adjei gave this advice on Saturday at the Hand washing activity to mark this year’s Homowo festival at Teshie on the theme “Promoting Hand Washing with Soap. Festival as Gateway”.

She explained that most Ghanaians apart from using the hands to cook and eat; use it for other activities which include coughing and sneezing, itching some parts of the body, cleaning nose and ears, rubbing eyes and handling money; adding they ignore washing their hands with soap after performing such activities.

“It is important to acknowledge the facts that this year’s Homowo festival in Teshie has indeed brought to the fore the practical issues in terms of unhygienic practices that underpins the importance of hand washing with soap in this community” she stressed.

Mrs Adomako-Adjei therefore used the platform to commend the traditional leaders for their laudable initiative to include hand washing activity as part of their programmes outline to celebrate this year’s Homowo festival; hence this will improve upon the lives of our people.

Speaking in an interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Samuel Sowah Tawiah, Chairman of the Teshie Community Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committee (WASH) said the programme was organised in response to the way people contract germs easily after their daily activities; hence hand washing with soap will be the best remedy.

“We have been celebrating the festival with no activity; we therefore decided to include hand washing activity which will be part and parcel of the Teshie Homowo Festival every year”, he told GNA.

The Teshie WASH Committee in support with the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) and under the auspices of the Teshie Traditional Council has oriented 35 hands washing promoters to visit 140 households with about 2800 persons in Teshie; educating them on the need to wash hands with soap and water.