The Community Water and Sanitation Agency has commenced the distribution of local handwashing facilities, such as Veronica buckets, hand sanitizers and detergents to institutions across the country to promote the healthy habit of proper handwashing.

The support will also be extended to Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds and community clinics.

The programme is being implemented under the “Enhanced Water and Sanitation” project of Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

Proper handwashing with soap under running water is an essential part of the guidelines issued by the World Health Organization to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

At a presentation of some hand washing items to the Osu Children’s Home in Accra, on Tuesday, Mrs Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Sector Minister, emphasised that a concerted effort was needed to fight the spread of the COVID-19.

The President, she said, had shown commitment to be transparent with the citizenry in all matters related to the respiratory disease, which was disrupting economic and social life around the globe, and called on everyone to be committed towards combating the dangers posed by the virus.

The Minister said new and intensified plans were being rolled out to ensure that the CWSA distributed more hand washing facilities across the country.

“It is part of their regular operations, but now we have intensified this operation to make sure that the President’s directive of strictly adhering to the WHOs protocols, especially on handwashing, is obeyed,” Mrs Dapaah said.

Mr Worlanyo Siabi, the Chief Executive of the CWSA, said the Agency was leaving no stone unturned in reaching many people with the education on hand washing and the distribution of the facilities.

All the regional and district offices of the CWSA, he said, had also been tasked to take hand washing seriously and educate other to do same.

The Management of the OSU Children's Home, expressed gratitude to the Ministry and CWSA for the support, and gave an assurance that they were going to ensure a good maintenance culture to enable the facilities to serve them for long.