The Burden of Childhood Diseases / Poor sanitation and hygiene remains a problem throughout Ghana, which directly and indirectly leads to the spread and transmission of illnesses such as diarrheal diseases, pneumonia and other respiratory infections. Young children suffer the most. In children under age 5 in Ghana, diarrheal diseases are responsible for 9% of child deaths, while pneumonia accounts for 8%. To put this in context, malaria and AIDS account for 26% and 3% of deaths respectively (WHO/CHERG 2010). Mortality, however, is only half of the story. Diarrhea leads to malnutrition and malnutrition leads to more frequent and longer periods of diarrhea (Checkley 2008). It is a vicious cycle. The high number of deaths and the loss of development potential are inexcusable in a world where knowledge and simple strategies exist to both prevent and treat such diseases.

Handwashing for Disease Prevention / Improvements in daily sanitation practices by parents and children can reduce the risk of these infections. Handwashing with soap interventions can reduce diarrheal incidence by almost half (Curtis 2003) and respiratory infections by 16% (Rabie 2006).

There are many barriers to the practice of handwashing including lack of knowledge, lack of running water, distance to water sources, and cultural practices such as washing with soap only after eating. History of Program/ Handwashing outreaches have been incorporated into various health interventions in Humjibre for many years. In 2009, GHEI began a more comprehensive and ongoing program focused on increasing the practice of handwashing with soap with children and mothers, and creating a school environment that enables handwashing practice. The program was launched by volunteers and CHWs in the summer of 2009 with a two-week outreach campaign aimed at mothers of young children and school aged students. Apart from increasing awareness of handwashing practice through educational dramas, each school was given handwashing supplies such as buckets, soaps and towels to encourage handwashing practice.

Since its launch, GHEI has partnered with the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing (PPPH) to implement a year-round school handwashing program that includes: monthly meetings with nominated School Handwashing Monitors, recognition for top school in promoting a positive handwashing environment, and community-wide outreaches on Global Handwashing Day each October. In the summer of 2010, GHEI expanded its HWWS School Program to the neighboring villages of Kojina and Muoho and performed HWWS outreaches to young mothers. Currently GHEI is working with the schools in Humjibre to install polytanks for each school so students will have a cleaner and more consistent source of running water to wash hands.

How you can help / If you would like to help prevent diarrhea and pneumonia in young children in Humjibre and surrounding villages, please consider donating to GHEI. A $500 donation can be used to buy and install one polytank, which would provide running water for a school, but a donation in any amount is welcome.