Maintain personal hygiene habits for healthy living – Mrs Amarteifio
MRS Karen Korsah Amarteifio, President of Soroptimist International Ghana (SIG) has charged women to practice and maintain personal hygiene habits for healthy living.
She said, “It is essential for practicing personal hygiene habits such as washing your hands, brushing and flossing your teeth, sweeping surroundings which help keep bacteria, viruses, and illnesses at bay.”
Mrs Amarteifio was speaking at a health advocacy programme held at Gbawe in the Ga South Municipal Assembly on Wednesday.
The event coincided with the International Women’s Day which fell on March 8 every year.
Held on the theme “embrace equity,” the event coincided with her outfit’s 38 years of existence in Ghana.
Mrs Amarteifio urged the women to ensure good environmental practices within their communities and asked the public to consult the District Assemblies to assist them in addressing challenges beyond them.
She said good hygienic practices promote mental health as well as prevent people from body odour, bad breath, and missing teeth which help to reduce the risk of infection from diseases.
She noted that good hygiene should be part of the daily routines of young girls, and urged them to visit health facilities regularly to check up on their health status to ensure they lived healthy lives.
She urged young girls to be disciplined to help them become effective leaders to drive the transformational agenda of the country.
“I call on women to develop their leadership skills and take up positions that will help them to identify opportunities that could benefit society,” she noted.
Mrs Philomena Otiduah, a Retired Nurse and Public Health Expert, said that most diseases break out were as a result of dirt and filth within the various communities.
Mrs Otiduah, also a member of SIG, said it was important for all to wash their hands and food before eating.
She said the recent outbreak of Lassa Fever was a result of the activities of rodents adding that, “you should try and wash all canned food before eating or using them.”
For her, rodents such as cockroaches and mice sometimes hid and played on canned foods and unwashed utensils at night.
“Your inability to wash these canned foods and used utensils can result in the outbreak of Lassa Fever. You must therefore wash used utensils before going to bed or wash those dishes with warm water before using them.”
The Retired Nurse advocated the commencement of monthly communal labour in various communities to avert outbreaks of diseases.
The SIG used the occasion to present detergents and packs of tissue papers to the elders of Gbawe Mantse Palace to be distributed to the women who attended the programme.
Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement with a network of around 72,000 club members in 21 countries. It looks to advocate for human rights and gender equity.
BY TIMES REPORTER
