COVID-19: Clean water, major element for promoting hand washing –NGO

Water

By Kemi Akintokun

Lagos, April 2, 2020 (NAN) Olumide Omolade, the  Coordinator of Water Corridor International, an NGO, says  that clean water is a major element needed in promoting the habit of hand washing; to prevent and curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Omolade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Lagos on Thursday that the NGO’s objective was geared toward promoting freshwater quality among the public.

He said  that the NGO had sensitised some  rural communities on the benefits of hand washing.

According to him; access to clean water, especially in rural communities, will help achieve the global objective of cutting back on the spreadability of the virus.

“We have engaged some rural communities in the Southwest on hand washing prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 to sensitise them on good hygiene which includes hand washing.

” We should know that the rural communities are also key stakeholders in maintaining good freshwater quality in order not to  compromise the quality of water they consume.

“We also campaign against open defecation, indiscriminate waste disposal, pollution from abattoir, landfill, waste oil and others that affect our water, ” he said.

The coordinator  said that  the organisation had already taken the  COVID-19 enlightenment campaign to  16 communities between Ogun and Ondo States.

“We are in a challenging period and enlightenment on the use of clean water, especially, in the  rural communities of the country is necessary.

“This will help  to guarantee that  the rural communities which are the vulnerable members of the society do not  add to the numbers the world is currently battling to save from the pandemic.

“We have been to 16 communities and we hope to reach out to more communities because we are already seeing the positive  impact of our campaign despite the lockdown,” he said. (NAN)

KOA/CHOM/PAD

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Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Peter Dada