By Ekene Okafor
In a bid to promote public health and well-being, the Health Policy Research Group (HPRG) in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Health has trained stakeholders on safe Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) practices.
The three-day training, which took place at Peakcastle Hotels, Awka, from February 18-20, 2025, brought together stakeholders from the state, local government, and community levels, including school teachers and WASH officers.
Dr. Uche Ezenwaka, lead facilitator of the research group, emphasized the importance of safe WASH practices, noting that poor access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene causes numerous challenges, including water-borne diseases and economic waste.
Ezenwaka highlighted the alarming rates of diarrhea in Okpoko community, where the research was conducted, and stressed the need for stakeholders to take action to improve WASH practices in the community.
The training covered various topics, including introduction to WASH, WASH program planning and implementation, safe water supply management, sanitation systems and technologies, and hygiene promotion and behavior change communication.
The Permanent Secretary, Anambra State Ministry of Health, Pharm (Dr) Oby Uchebo, urged participants to be good ambassadors of WASH in their various households, communities, schools, and workplaces.
The training was facilitated by experts from HPRG, including Dr. Chinyere Okeke, Dr. Kene Ikeako, Joseph Nwankwor, Wilson Anyanebechi, and Mystery Orjiako, as well as facilitators from the state and local government levels.
The participants were given pre- and post-tests, and evaluation of the training and distribution of IEC materials formed part of the exercise.
