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The Ashanti Regional Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service in charge of Public Health, Dr Michael Rockson Adjei, has underscored the significant role proper handwashing protocols play in preventing the surge of the coronavirus in the country.

He said handwashing apart from its weighty task in the fight against Covid-19 has helped reduce the spread of many infectious diseases like; diarrhoea, hookworm infection, dracunculiasis and schistosomiasis.

Hand washing has been part of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Strategies by the Government of Ghana and WASH works on long-term prevention and control measures for improving health, reducing poverty also improving socio-economic development as well as responding to global emergencies and outbreaks of life-threatening illness.

The Regional Health Directorate has thus launched Hand washing Week ahead of the global celebration on 15th October, this year to create much awareness on the need to regularly wash hands.

Dr Michael Rockson Adjei in an interview with Hello FM's Prince Kwadwo Boadu said despite the fight against poor sanitation, nearly half of the population in Kumasi relies on public toilets, with only one toilet for every 1,000 people and water services in low income urban areas are often non-existent.

This according to him is having a massive knock on effect on the population’s health, dignity and economic growth.

He added that with support from UNICEF, they will be training some selected Communities and Schools in three Districts with poor wash systems.

Regional Covid Update

Commenting on the Covid-19 update, Dr. Michael Rockson Adjei said Covid-19 recorded cases has decrease lately, however, he warned the general public not to be complacent by flouting the protocols since it can lead to a 4th Wave of the disease.

Currently the region has taken delivery of 318,140 doses of AstraZenecca and so far 198,000 plus doses have been administered as vaccination is still ongoing in all districts across the region.

He later described the vaccine as a game changer in the fight against the novel pandemic and implored the citizenry to participate since its effective in reducing morbidity and mortality.

The Ashanti Region now has cumulative cases of 20,689 with 382 deaths with only 25 active cases.