WaterAid Rwanda has donated modern permanent handwashing facilities build at four points in Nyamagabe district, one at Nyamagabe Bus Park, and others at Gasaka, Gasarenda, and Kaduha markets.
The donation was made during the celebration at this year's International Handwashing Day (GHWD), on Thursday, October 15, 2020. This year's Global Hand Washing Day was marked at the district level in Southern Rwanda in collaboration with Nyamagabe District.
The donation of handwashing infrastructure was made under the theme: 'Handwashing for All'.
'As WaterAid Rwanda, we are taking this opportunity to remind Rwandans that handwashing is the first line of protection against COVID-19 and other diseases like diarrhea, Ebola, hepatitis, etc,' said Maurice Kwizera- WaterAid Rwanda Country Director.
According to Kwizera, good hygiene behaviors including handwashing should be an essential part of everyone's lives: be at home, accessing education, accessing health care, other parts of our daily lives -public transportation, market places
During the handover ceremony, the Mayor of Nyamagabe District, Bonnaventure Uwamahoro, said that his district has taken strict measures against COVID-19 and he is grateful that partners like WaterAid Rwanda are coming on board to support the initiative in his district.
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a stark reminder that one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of a disease is also one of the simplest: hand hygiene, especially through handwashing with soap. To beat COVID-19 today and ensure better health outcomes beyond the pandemic, hand hygiene must be a priority now and in the future.
Only 4.4% of households in Rwanda are equipped with facilities that have soap and water to enable the practice of handwashing with soap at critical moments
Globally, 3 billion people are living without somewhere to wash their hands with clean water and soap at home and one in four health centres lack these basic facilities on site. Without clean water, good hygiene and sanitation, health centres, the very places which are supposed to make you better and keep you well, are at high risk of becoming breeding grounds for Covid-19.
Healthcare workers are staring down this disease without the facilities needed to protect themselves and their patients. Despite this, less than 1% of the funding for responding to Covid-19 has been invested in scaling up access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
Source : https://taarifa.rw/wateraid-rwanda-builds-handwashing-facilities-in-major-hotspots-of-nyamagabe/
