By Hassan Zaggi
Experts in the health sector have insisted that maintaining and sustaining the COVID-19 hygiene practices will help to reduce disease burden in the country.
They have, therefore, called for the sustenance of the hygiene and behavioural change models that were used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.
The experts made their position known at the close-out ceremony of the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition Phase Two Project in Abuja, on Monday.
Speaking, the Director, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Boladale Alonge, explained that a five-step programme to design, implement and ensure sustained behaviour change was developed during the implementation of the HBCC 2 which provided support to the ministry to develop, disseminate and distribute social and behaviour change materials on COVID-19 preventive measures.
According to her, during the implementation, a vaccine locator app was also developed to assist the general public in locating the nearest vaccine sites closest to them.
She, however, insisted that: “We may not need to use facemasks, but it is important that every eligible person is immunised, and we sustain the behavioural changes in control of COVID-19, we have to continue to maintain hygienic practices and health promotional information to prevent other infections.”
On her part, the Director /Head, Health promotion division, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Ladidi Bako-Aiyegbusi, insisted that adequate funding will sustain the programme.
She disclosed that the initiative which was initiated in 2022 with six focal states, had changed the narrative of managing hygiene issues especially disease outbreak.
According to Mrs Bako-Aiyegbusi: “We are winning the battle against COVID-19 because people are being encouraged to adhere to the preventive measures when the pandemic was at the peak.
“The awareness and sensitisation was massive, even on some diseases. This truly shows that more fund are needed to sustain the activities that will keep the fight”
“So, when coughing use a handkerchief or cough into your elbow. When you are in a crowded place, maintain a distance because you only know your health status but you don’t know that of others, and wash your hands frequently.”
Speaking earlier, the Chief of Party and Head of Programmes, Dr Fatima Bunza, reiterated that the media intervention programme through the use of the media can be used in preventing and curbing the spread of other infections.
“The focus has been on COVID-19 preventive measures and promotion of COVID-19 vaccination uptake. COVID-19 is still very much around and we should not rest on our guards, we should continue to observe the preventive measures and for the health systems, we should continue to use the resources we have and adapt when needed,” she noted.
It is worth noting that the HBCC 2 is a Population Services International Nigeria project tasked with transforming lives through hygiene.
The coalition is a task force of charity organisations, United Nations organisations, and academic partners supported by Unilever and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
The project which leveraged the know-how and networks of all implementing partners to promote hand washing and good hygiene messages was implemented in collaboration with the Federal and State Ministries of Health in six states.
The benefiting states include in Kano, Nasarawa, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The project which began on April 1, 2022, will end on March 31, 2023.
