Plateau State has called on residents to make proper handwashing with soap and clean water a daily habit to prevent diseases and promote public health.
The call was made during the 2026 Global Handwashing Day celebration held at the Local Education Authority Central Primary School in Langtang North Local Government Area, where government officials, health and education stakeholders, traditional rulers, teachers and pupils gathered to promote hygiene practices.
The event, themed around encouraging everyone to become a handwashing hero, emphasised the need to sustain proper hand hygiene in homes, schools, markets and public places.
Speaking at the occasion, the General Manager of the Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (PRUWASSA), Godfrey Dashuhar, described handwashing with soap and clean water as a simple but effective way to prevent the spread of diseases.
He urged residents, schools and communities to embrace regular handwashing, stressing that maintaining proper hygiene requires collective responsibility and sustained commitment from all stakeholders.
The Director of Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Magdalene Ritmwa Jibrin, said the annual celebration was designed to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene and encourage behavioural change among members of the public.
Jibrin noted that promoting handwashing as an everyday habit was particularly important among schoolchildren, adding that parents, teachers, community leaders and relevant institutions must sustain the campaign beyond the annual event.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Council, Pirfa Tyem, represented by the Supervisory Councillor for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Blessing Freeman, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to supporting sanitation and hygiene programmes.
He urged residents, schools and communities to adopt proper handwashing practices as part of efforts to protect public health and create cleaner environments.
The Education Secretary of Langtang North, Tabitha Wazhi, commended PRUWASSA and other stakeholders for promoting hand hygiene among pupils, describing schools as strategic platforms for inculcating healthy habits in children.
She pledged the continued support of the education sector through school health clubs, awareness campaigns and regular hygiene education, while urging teachers and pupils to practise and promote proper handwashing.
Similarly, the Director of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Langtang North, Julius Rabo, described handwashing with soap and clean water as a critical component of disease prevention and community health.
He said his department would continue to promote hygiene awareness at the grassroots, urging residents to practise proper handwashing at home, in schools, markets and other public places.
The Chairman of the House Committee on WASH at the Langtang North Local Government Legislative Council, Mandir David, stressed the importance of community participation and institutional support in achieving sustainable sanitation and hygiene outcomes.
She pledged the committee’s support for policies and programmes that promote proper hygiene, while calling on residents to take personal responsibility for maintaining clean and healthy surroundings.
Representing the traditional institution, the District Head of Kuffen, Bala Zwaltur, urged traditional rulers to use their influence to promote handwashing and other healthy sanitation practices in their communities.
He assured stakeholders of the traditional council’s commitment to sustaining the campaign at the grassroots and encouraged parents, community leaders and residents to make handwashing a daily routine.
A major highlight of the celebration was a practical demonstration of proper handwashing involving pupils, Dashuhar and the local government chairman’s representative, Freeman.
The demonstration highlighted the importance of washing hands with soap and clean water at critical times, particularly before eating or handling food and after using the toilet.
The event also featured song presentations by the school’s health club and local government facilitators, who used creative performances to educate participants on the importance of hand hygiene.
As part of efforts to encourage the practice, soap and other handwashing materials were distributed to traditional rulers, dignitaries and other stakeholders, while pupils also received soap to support handwashing at home and in school.
The celebration ended with a renewed appeal to individuals, families, schools and communities to sustain the campaign and make proper handwashing an integral part of everyday life.