Health Workers in the Upper East Region Adequately Prepare Change People’s Minds on Sanitation and Hygiene Practices

Story; Zakaria Abdul Hakim Cisse || Sanatu Zambang SDGs Live Report

At the just ended Technical Hygiene training for health and related workers organized by WaterAid Ghana in the Bongo Municipal, participants expressed their readiness to champion the course of good practices.

The three days long intensive workshop organized by Wateraid Ghana was a preparatory step to equip the participants who would aid in the clean community campaign. The Clean Community Campaign was initiated to bring behavioural changes in hygiene practices in communities.

At the just ended Technical Hygiene training for health and related workers organized by WaterAid Ghana in the Bongo District Assembly, participants expressed their readiness to champion the course of good sanitation and hygiene practices in their healthcare facilities and communities during outreach programmes.

The three days long intensive workshop was a preparatory step to equip the participants who would aid the clean community campaign under the Behaviour Change Campaign projects in the Upper East Region funded by DFID/Unilever and Global Affairs Canada. The Clean Community Campaign was initiated to bring behavioural changes to hygiene practices in communities.

The participants said they were happy to be part of the training and will do their best, using what they have learnt from the workshop in the roll out clean community campaigns in support of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

They thanked the organizers and said the content of the training was well drafted and equally beneficial to them. Some of them shared with Sanatu Zambang that there are several barriers in behaviour change project, but what they have learnt would stimulate a fruitful implementation of the campaign.

There remarked the need for a collaborative work with traditional rulers and other opinion leaders who will serve as catalysts in changing the mind-set of the people.

A public health nurse in Bongo stated that the programme came just when they needed it especially while we are facing the novel Coronavirus pandemic.

This programme has come to the district very timely as it will help us in the fight against COVID-19 – I’m happy about it. Just two months down the line, people are beginning to ignore the precautionary measures especially, hand washing practices.” She stated.

Highlighting on the need to change the mindset of people for life, a participant cited that despite the fact that we are in COVID-19, people are no longer taking the precautions as the fear of the disease is diminishing. Hence there is the need to rather let them have an idea of the results of bad sanitation instead of preaching fear.

“The rate at which the handwashing was adhered to, has reduced as time goes. Even the veronica buckets, people are no longer filling them with water and people don’t bother to ask others to follow the precautionary measures. It is only the banks and other big organizations that put notices at their entrances. This training will help us, using various media of communication.” He added.

The overall impression of the participants was positive and there are hope that the Bongo edition of the clean community campaign would as well be phenomenal.

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