AMA educates HOTCASS students on proper handwashing to prevent diseases
Story by: Regina Bless
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has organised a health education programme for students of Holy Trinity Cathedral Senior High School (HOTCASS) in Accra to promote proper handwashing and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The programme, held on Thursday, October 15, 2026, was organised through the AMA’s Public Health Department in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to mark Global Handwashing Day.
The initiative aimed to strengthen personal hygiene practices among young people and encourage behavioural changes that would help prevent the spread of diseases.
The engagement featured practical demonstrations and interactive sessions to educate students on effective handwashing techniques, the importance of using soap and clean running water, and the critical moments when handwashing was necessary.
Speaking at the programme, the Head of the AMA Public Health Department, Madam Florence Kuukyi, described proper handwashing as one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent communicable diseases.
She explained that Global Handwashing Day, observed annually on October 15, was established in 2008 to raise awareness about the importance of washing hands with soap and encourage individuals and communities to adopt good hygiene practices.
Madam Kuukyi stressed that effective handwashing involved more than rinsing the hands with water, urging individuals to use soap and clean running water and scrub their hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.
She noted that proper handwashing could significantly reduce the risk of diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections, making it an important first line of defence against preventable illnesses.
The Deputy Chief Nursing Officer of the Accra Metro Health Directorate, Madam Helena Sowa, said the collaboration between the AMA and the GHS was intended to reinforce good hygiene habits among students and improve their understanding of the link between hand hygiene and disease prevention.
She added that the programme provided an opportunity to educate students on why handwashing was important, how to do it correctly, and the appropriate times to wash their hands.
A student of HOTCASS, Master Gabriel Nii Kotey Kotei, expressed appreciation to the AMA and the Ghana Health Service for the initiative, describing it as an opportunity to improve his knowledge of personal hygiene.
He said the programme had taught him that failing to wash hands properly could expose individuals to preventable illnesses, including diarrhoea, typhoid fever and some respiratory infections.
He further observed that students sometimes neglected handwashing because they were hungry, in a hurry or eager to engage in other activities without considering the possible health consequences.
The AMA has encouraged the adoption of proper handwashing practices as part of efforts to promote healthier communities and reduce the spread of preventable diseases.