NCDC tasks Nigerians on hand washing

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has enjoined health workers and the public to regularly wash their hands to protect themselves from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, stated this on Saturday during a lecture organised in collaboration with the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, to mark this year’s World Hand Hygiene Day.

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The global Hand Hygiene Day is titled, “Achieving hand hygiene at the point of care,” and the slogan is, “Seconds save lives – clean your hands!”

Ihekweazu, who was represented by Dr Chinwe Ochu, the Director of Prevention Programme and Knowledge Management at the Centre, said hand washing was an effective way of preventing diseases for health workers, patients and the general public.

“Hand hygiene is a key strategy and an effective way to keep away infectious diseases,” she said.

The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Prof Saad, described hand hygiene as a simple and costless procedure that reduces a lot of morbidity and mortality in the health sector.