NORTHERN PROVINCE

BURERA—Rwandans have been advised to regularly wash their hands with soap in homes, schools and areas of work in order to prevent diseases caused by poor hygiene.

This was the message delivered by Emmanuel Kabanda, an official from the Ministry of Health during the ceremony to mark the Global Hand Washing Day in Kagogo sector, Burera district on Wednesday.

Kabanda explained that hand washing with soap is the cheapest and most effective way of controlling preventable diseases such as diarrhea and respiratory diseases-which kill hundreds of young children in Rwanda.

Apparently the venue was chosen because of recurrent poor hygienically related diseases in the area.

About 21 per cent of the Rwandan children born every year die of diarrhea, while 3.5 million children die worldwide, especially in developing countries, according to reports from the Ministry of Health.

According to Ministry of Health officials, poor hygiene and sanitation are some of the leading causes of death among young children in the world with diarrhea accounting for 88 per cent.

During the function, primary and secondary school students staged plays depicting the typical rural life, demonstrated ways how children get in contact with unhygienic conditions, eat without washing their hands, never wash their hands after going to the toilet, and the effects of poor hygiene.

Dorothy Nzayituriki, the vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs, asked residents to take responsibility of practicing and teaching their children hygiene and sanitation in order to prevent intestinal worms and respiratory diseases.  

She warned traders and owners of restaurants and bars to respect the regulations and standards of having Ecosans-public toilets and ensuring their cleanness. 

By ensuring good hygiene and sanitation, the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age five would be reduced by two-thirds by 2015.

Ends