From: Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto

The United Nations for Children Education Fund (UNICEF) has said, in Sokoto State, only 0.7 percent of households have specific place for handwashing where water and soap or other cleansing agents are present.

The UNICEF Chief Field officer in-charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara, Mr. Mohammad Mohiuddin, disclosed this through a statement made available during an activities to mark this year’s Global Hand-washing Day in Sokoto.

The event was organised by UNICEF Sokoto field office, the state Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Health with the theme: “our hands, our future”.

Mohiuddin said the figure which was culled from 2016 MICS rated Sokoto low when compared to 5.3 percent and 7.1 percent in Kebbbi and Zamfara states, respectively.

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He described the event as an opportunity to design, test and replicate creative ways in encouraging people to wash their hands with soap at critical times.

The UNICEF chief said hand-washing with soap was one of the simplest and most effective ways of preventing infection and disease in babies and their mothers, particularly at the time of birth.

He maintained that the UNICEF was working toward increasing access to safe drinking water for more communities, schools, health, institutions, markets, offices, industries, ‎and other public places.

“Having recognised the importance of hand-washing to Health, Nutrition, School attendance and overall wellbeing, UNICEF Sokoto Field will part of the recently signed Media partnership agreement engage with households and the general populace in accelerating adoption of effective hand-washing at critical times in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, respectively,” Mohiuddin explained.