Gbungbaliga (N/R), Feb. 14, GNA - Mr Walvis Hudu, Yendi Municipal Chief Executive, at the weekend launched the Global Hand Washing Day at Gbungbaliga near Yendi in the Northern Region and stressed the health benefits of the exercise. Mr Hudu said undoubtedly the day was meant to raise awareness on the immense health benefits of washing one's hands with soap to prevent diarrhoeal and other communicable diseases.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 as the international year of sanitation, which gave birth to the day meant to re-echo and reinforce the call for improved hygienic practices worldwide. The theme for the event was "Saving Lives Through Hand Washing With Soap."

Mr Hudu said every year 3.5 million under five children die worldwide due to diarrhoea and pneumonia. He said in Ghana diarrhoea accounts for 25 per cent of all deaths in children under five and is among the top three reported cases of morbidity.

The Municipal Chief Executive said if the country could achieve the Millennium Development Goals target of reducing deaths among children under five by two-thirds, then there was the need for Ghanaians to focus on sanitation and hygienic practices including hand washing with soap. The Municipal Assistant Director of Education in-charge of Finance and Administration, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulai Shamrock stressed the need for all school children to practice hand washing with soap at home and in school before eating.

The Municipal Resource Person in-charge of the Hand Washing project, Mr Damio Kenneth reminded the people about the need to wash their hands with soap anytime they shake hands with friends and relatives at funerals grounds, market and other public places.