Dr Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, has called on Ghanaians to go back to the hand washing days after the COVID-19 pandemic, to help avoid preventable diseases.
She said it was high time public washrooms, schools, market places, health centres, religious bodies made hand washing with soap among the common practices and encourage others to emulate.
Dr Sowah was launching the 2026 Global Hand washing Day dubbed “I am a hand washing hero.”
She called on all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to make hand hygiene a visible, funded and monitored part of their development plans.
“It is worrying to visit public facilities and find toilets closed or discover that those in use have no soap or appropriate materials for drying hands.
Our environmental health teams must strengthen monitoring and follow-up,” she said.
Dr Sowah, who is also the Member of Parliament for La Dadekotokpon, said the District’s plans should identify priority locations, clearly assign responsibility for providing water and soap, allocate funds for replenishment and repairs, and track whether facilities remained functional after installation.
She said Assemblies, must regularly inspect markets, lorry stations, slaughterhouses, public toilets, schools, health facilities and other busy public spaces, to ensure that handwashing facilities were functional and adequately supplied.
She advised the Assemblies to consider simple daily checks by market managers, traders’ associations or facility attendants, supported by periodic verification from environmental health officers.
The Deputy Minister appealed to traditional leaders to make handwashing and environmental cleanliness regular topics at festivals and other public engagements.
She cited an example where a chief could encourage households to place a simple handwashing facility near the toilet or kitchen, whilst a queen mother could also champion hand hygiene among mothers, caregivers and market women.
The Deputy Minister said traditional leaders could also encourage community volunteers to check facilities at shared locations and report faults to their district assemblies, as efforts to keep Ghana clean must include access to functioning handwashing facilities.
Dr Frank Lule, representative of the WHO Country Representative commended the Ministry for advancing water, sanitation and hygiene as critical pillars of public health and sustainable development.
Mr Ibrahim Musah, the Head of Strategy – Water-Aid, Ghana urged all to support the government in promoting hand washing to achieve universal hand washing hygiene.
Mr Atta Arhin of World Vision said the hand washing facilities must include the use of soap under running water, which was most effective, affordable but helped prevent diseases.
Madam Theodora Adomako Adjei, the former coordinator for hand washing with soap, praised the Ghana Water and Sanitation (WatSan) Journalists’ Network (GWJN) for supporting the campaign since it’s inception.
In attendance at the event were representatives from UNICEF, World Health Organisation, the World Bank, World Vision Ghana, WaterAid Ghana, leadership and members of the Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, members of GWJN, Chief Director and Directors of the Ministry, among other stakeholders.
Global Hand washing Day is observed on October 15 annually, to create awareness and promote hand washing with soap.