Osun Provides 2,000 Boreholes, Toilets Over Ebola

Osun State governor has reaffirmed its resolve not to leave any stone unturned in the quest of ridding the state of outbreak of any epidemic with a view to making the state a safe haven to all and sundry.
The state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, stated this while addressing participants at the celebration of the 2014 Global Hand Washing Day celebration organised by office of the Rural Water and Environmental Sanitation Agency (RUWESA) in collaboration with the office of his wife, Ambassador of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), Alhaja Serifat Aregbesola, in Osogbo with the theme: “Choose hand-washing, choose health.”
Governor Aregbesola, who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, said the state government has distributed hand washing materials and infrared thermometer to over 2,000 state and Federal Government’s owned elementary, middle and high schools across the state to militate against the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease ( EVD) among school pupils in the state.
According to the governor, over 2,000 boreholes and toilet facilities together with potable water supply had been made available to people of the state so as to curb outbreak of water related diseases, adding that his government would not rest on its oars to ensure that no epidemic has a place in the state.
He, therefore, appealed to market and rural women to make good use of all they had been taught during different sensitisation exercise carried out by the state government by keeping their environment healthy always.
Bearing his mind on the occasion, Governor Aregbesola said the purpose of the celebration was to create awareness among people of the state and to call on the general public to take advantages that are abound in the programme.
He said the programme would provide enabling environment and give proper attention to school and to give materials to schools.
In her address, Alhaja Aregbesola, said the 2014 global hand washing day was a huge step taken to tackle problems of hygiene and sanitation in communities across the state.
She said frequent hand washing with soap and water as the cheapest way to prevent contracting Ebola and other communicable diseases, saying if everyone could involve themselves in mobilising others in making hand washing a routine, money spent on treating contracted persons would be channelled into other human rewarding ventures.
Urging the people to live in tandem with the theme of this year’s celebration by giving priority to had washing and observing all other hygienic means they had been taught, Alhaja Aregbesola emphasised that she would join hands with stakeholders to take campaign of sanitation and hygiene to a great height .
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the state governor in the Ministry of Water Resources, Community Affairs and Rural Development, Mr Kunle Ige hinted that the programme was aimed at sensitising public on importance of hygiene and restoration of healthy living in the state.
Ige said that people should comply and adopt the policy of washing their hands, adding that prevention is better than cure.
He added: “Now that the world Health Organisation (WHO) has certified the nation as Ebola-free, we should take things for granted because of the certification.
Delivering a lecture on the importance of frequent hand washing, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr (Mrs) Temitope Ilori, urged all and sundry to give priority to hand washing with soap and water at all times, adding that it is a way they could prevent themselves from contracting any disease.
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