Plateau State has joined the rest of the world to celebrate the 2026 Global Handwashing Day, with a renewed call on residents to embrace proper handwashing with soap and clean water to prevent diseases and promote healthy living.
The celebration, held at the Local Education Authority Central Primary School, Langtang North Local Government Area, brought together government officials, education and health stakeholders, traditional rulers, teachers and pupils to promote hand hygiene.
Speaking at the event, the General Manager of the Plateau Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, PRUWASSA, Godfrey Dashuhar, stressed the importance of proper handwashing as a simple but effective measure for preventing the spread of diseases.
He urged communities, schools and households to make handwashing with soap and clean water a regular practice, emphasising the need for collective responsibility in promoting sanitation and hygiene across Plateau State.
The Director of Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Magdalene Ritmwa Jibrin, provided an overview of the celebration, explaining its objectives and the need to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene.
She noted that Global Handwashing Day seeks to encourage behavioural change by making proper handwashing an everyday habit, particularly among schoolchildren and members of the wider community.
Jibrin called on parents, teachers, community leaders and relevant institutions to sustain the campaign beyond the annual celebration.
In his remarks, 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 initiatives.
He called on schools, communities and households to embrace proper handwashing and work together to protect public health.
The Education Secretary of Langtang North, Tabitha Wazhi, commended PRUWASSA and other stakeholders for promoting proper handwashing among pupils, describing schools as important centres for instilling healthy habits in children.
She pledged the continued support of the education sector in promoting hand hygiene through school health clubs, awareness campaigns and regular hygiene education, while encouraging teachers and pupils to practise and teach proper handwashing at all times.
The Director of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, in Langtang North, Julius Rabo, described handwashing with soap and clean water as a vital component of disease prevention and community health.
He reaffirmed his department’s commitment to sustaining hygiene awareness at the local government level, urging community members to adopt proper handwashing practices in their homes, schools, markets and other public places.
The Chairman of the House Committee on WASH at the Langtang North Local Government Legislative Council, Mandir David, emphasised the importance of community participation and institutional support in ensuring the success of sanitation and hygiene programmes.
She pledged the committee’s commitment to supporting policies and initiatives that promote access to proper hygiene practices, while calling on residents to take personal responsibility for maintaining clean and healthy environments.
Representing the traditional council, the District Head of Kuffen, Bala Zwaltur, called on traditional rulers to use their positions to promote proper handwashing and other healthy sanitation practices within their communities.
He assured stakeholders of the traditional institution’s commitment to sustaining the programme at the grassroots, urging community leaders, parents and residents to make handwashing a daily habit and encourage others to do the same.
A major highlight of the celebration was a practical demonstration of the proper steps for handwashing, involving pupils, the General Manager of PRUWASSA, Godfrey Dashuhar, and the Chairman of Langtang North Local Government Council, represented by Blessing Freeman.
The demonstration reinforced 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 area facilitators, using music and creative performances to educate participants on the importance of hand hygiene.
In a further demonstration of support for the campaign, soap and other handwashing materials were presented to traditional rulers, dignitaries and other stakeholders, while pupils also received soap to encourage them to practise proper handwashing at home and in school.
The celebration ended with a call on individuals, families, schools and communities to sustain the handwashing campaign beyond the event.
The central message was clear: Everyone must become a handwashing hero by making proper handwashing with soap and clean water a daily habit.