The Global Hand Washing with Soap Day instituted by the United Nations General Assembly to create awareness on good sanitation and hygiene promotion through hand washing with soap has been marked.
This year's ceremony was the fifth in the series of the annual event, which is marked on October 15 globally to ensure that hand washing becomes an automatic behaviour performed voluntarily at homes, schools and communities instead of being viewed as an abstract good idea sometimes performed reluctantly.
It was organized by the Northern Region Office of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in partnership with organizations such as United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), Wash Alliance, and Unilever,
Speaking at the event which was held at the compound of the Tamale Senior High School in Tamale on Friday, Mr MacCarthy Ofori, Northern Regional Director of CWSA, said "we need a radical change of mind and attitude, and self discipline and together we shall get to the desired destination; which is good health and long life".
There were drama performances by school pupils depicting hand washing and the significance of washing hands with soap.
Mr Ofori said, "This celebration shall be meaningless if by same time next year, we as individuals and as a region cannot measure the positive behaviour change we have achieved in hand washing with soap within the year."
He said studies had shown that the "biggest killers of children and vulnerable adults in the developing countries are respiratory infections and diarrheal diseases, which are both preventable through the washing of hands with soap".
He argued that washing hands with water alone could remove some germs as compared to washing hands with soap and called on the populace to inculcate the habit of washing hands with soap for healthy living.
In a speech read for him, Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister, urged all to share the importance of washing hands with soap to their loved ones and community members.
Meanwhile, Wuni Zaligu Development Aassociation, an NGO, donated nine water containers to the Ghana Education Service to be distributed to schools to promote hand washing with soap amongst school pupils.