Taps installed to boost healthy lifestyle

A number of Port Moresby schools installed taps through Unicef funding as part of the 2015-30 water and sanitation hygiene (WASH) concept to promote healthy lifestyles.
The schools included Bomana Primary, Ted Diro Primary, Boreboa Primary, St John’s Tokarara and Hagara Primary, deputy education secretary Titus Hatagen said yesterday.
“The department through Unicef engaged a contractor to actually do the hand basin washing areas for the schools,” he said. “Each school project cost about K22,000.
“The purpose is basically to get our children into the habits of washing their hands, especially after playing sports, so we try to promote healthy practices.
“The initial stage of the WASH started in 2015.
“What will happen is we’ll look at the current toilet facilities and look at how we could improve them or come up with new arrangements as well.
“The school administration is responsible for the management of toilet facilities and must work collaboratively with school boards, parents and citizens so we’ve got to do a lot of awareness and actually get down to the nitty-gritty of educating our children.”
Hatagen said the department was looking at setting up a WASH unit.
“Basically they are officers that focus on sanitation and hygiene water and sanitation hygiene programmes throughout the country in consultation with the stakeholders,” he said