The Effutu Municipal Assembly (EMA), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has organised a health education programme for students of selected Basic Schools including Synclare International, Ampa Preparatory and Seventh- Day Adventist Schools in Winneba to promote proper handwashing practices and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.The programme, held on Thursday, October 15, 2026, through the Assembly’s Environmental Health Department, formed part of activities to commemorate Global Handwashing Day, observed annually on October 15.It was aimed at strengthening personal hygiene practices among young people and encouraging behavioural change towards disease prevention.The engagement featured practical demonstrations and interactive sessions to equip the students with knowledge of effective handwashing techniques, the importance of using soap and clean running water, and the critical moments when handwashing was necessary.Mr Wilson Tsemenyi, a Chief Environmental Health Assistant at the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Assembly, emphasised that regular and proper handwashing remained one of the simplest and most effective ways of preventing communicable diseases.He said Global Handwashing Day was established in 2008 to raise awareness of the importance of washing hands with soap and encourage individuals, institutions and communities to adopt good hygiene practices.Mr Tsemenyi explained that effective handwashing involved more than simply rinsing the hands with water, noting that individuals must use soap and clean running water and scrub their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds to remove germs and minimise the risk of infection.He said research had shown that proper handwashing with soap could reduce diarrhoeal diseases by about 40 per cent and respiratory infections by approximately 20 per cent.He therefore urged the students to make handwashing a regular habit, particularly before eating or handling food, after using the toilet, and whenever their hands were visibly dirty.Miss Diana Agyei, a representative of the Municipal Health Directorate, said the collaboration between the GHS and the EMA was intended to reinforce good hygiene practices among students and improve their understanding of the link between hand hygiene and disease prevention.She said the programme provided an opportunity to educate the students on the importance of handwashing, the correct techniques to adopt, and the appropriate times to wash their hands.Miss Agyei also led an interactive question-and-answer session during which she educated the students on diseases associated with poor hand hygiene, including cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid fever and other communicable diseases.She encouraged the students to practise proper handwashing consistently and share the knowledge acquired with their families and communities to help promote good hygiene and prevent the spread of infections.The programme underscored the importance of school-based health education in promoting healthy behaviours among children and supporting broader public health efforts to prevent avoidable diseases.
Story By: Charles Baah Aboagye & Corrita Afful -ISD
Last modified: October 21, 2026
