The President of Safe Water Global Initiative, Francis Uzoma, has called for the reintroduction of hand washing in public places to curtail the spread of cholera in Nigeria.

Mr Uzoma made the call during an interview on Wednesday in Abuja.

He emphasised on the need for the practice following reports of widespread cholera outbreaks in many parts of the country.

Mr Uzoma advocated a comprehensive multi-level government collaboration, policy implementation and behavioural change to tackle the issue.

“I think there is a need for hands-on collaboration between the federal, state, and local governments in handling this issue of cholera in our country. In most of our schools and public places, we need to engage in hand-washing campaigns because currently, few schools have hand-washing facilities. In spite of the media announcements about the outbreaks, it is unfortunate that Lagos State has lost many precious lives. We are hopeful this will not happen again, and we expect various government agencies and responsible bodies to do more,” he said.

Mr Uzoma highlighted the importance of scaling up investments in water infrastructure, and ensuring proper allocation of funds for mini-water schemes at the local government levels.

“When there is an outbreak, most people don’t have safe water and they make do with what is available. Access to water is a right according to the UN Convention on Rights to Water. The government should be at the forefront to ensure that citizens have access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene,” Mr Uzoma said.

He also highlighted the need to create a framework for better coordination among international NGOs, multilateral organisations, and government policies, including implementing digital tools to enhance water and sanitation projects.

Mr Uzoma called for streamlining of procurement processes to expedite project implementation for the benefit of all Nigerians.

He cited the National Water Resources Policy 2016, which projects that national water demand would increase to 16.585 million cubic meters yearly by 2030.

According to him, this underscores the need for proactive measures to scale up access.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1,598 suspected cholera cases across 107 Local Government Areas in 30 states, with Bayelsa accounting for 50 per cent of the cases.

Efforts to curb the spread of cholera include improving water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, deploying rapid diagnostic tests, and enhancing surveillance.

However, challenges such as urban slums, lack of potable water, and limited healthcare infrastructure continued to hinder various progress.

(NAN)