Personal hygiene vital: Secretary

National

Access to good sanitation, safe drinking water and personal hygiene is important for children, Secretary for Health, Pascoe Kase says.
Speaking at the ninth Global Hand Washing Day last Saturday, Kase said millions of children died every year before they reached the age of five because of lack of access to such services.
The day was declared as a global hand washing day in 2008 by the global public-private partnership for hand washing with soap.
Kase said the purpose of the day was to promote public awareness and understanding about the importance of hand washing with soap as an effective and affordable way of preventing diseases.
He said making awareness and promotion in schools was the most effect way of bringing the message across to children.
Kase urged teachers and parents to encourage students to make washing hands a habit and pointed to the importance of making available such facilities.