FG launches national handwashing campaign to curb cholera and diphtheria

The federal government has launched a national handwashing campaign to curb the spread of infectious diseases, including cholera and diphtheria, warning that poor hygiene practices continue to expose Nigerians to preventable diseases.

The government said the fight against infectious diseases must go beyond hospitals and drugs and reach daily preventive habits, especially proper handwashing with soap and clean running water in homes, schools, markets, workplaces and health facilities.

The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said this at the commemoration of World Handwashing Day 2026 in Abuja, with the theme: “Be a Handwashing Hero”.

The event, organized in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Nestlé, was held at the Police Day Secondary School in Abuja.

Lawal, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Salisu Aminu Usman, said hand hygiene remains a public health imperative that requires collective responsibility.

Represented by the Director, Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, Mrs. Omotunde Adeola, Usman said the school was chosen to empower pupils as hygiene ambassadors who would spread the message beyond the classroom to their homes and communities.

He revealed that a handwashing station has been built in the school with the support of stakeholders, describing it as a practical step to translate awareness into action.

According to him, it is necessary to wash hands properly after using the toilet, handling waste, looking after children and before preparing or eating food.

“Clean hands remain our first line of defense. The impact of World Handwashing Day should be measured not by ceremonies but by lasting changes in people’s daily habits,” he said.

Usman particularly highlighted the role of market women and food handlers, stressing that poor hand hygiene among traders dealing with both children and food products could lead to contamination and disease transmission.

In his speech, Lawal described hand washing as one of the simplest, most convenient and effective ways to protect yourself from disease-causing germs, including cholera and typhoid fever.

He warned that awareness without access to facilities would achieve little, and called on governments at all levels, the private sector, civil society, traditional and religious leaders and development partners to expand access to clean water and functional handwashing stations.