On 16th January 2014, Rwanda officially launched a six-month national campaign to improve personal, domestic and public places hygiene. The ceremony took place at a Primary School in Nkombo Island, in Rusizi District, in Western Province. The technical and financial part for the launching has been supported by WHO and UNICEF among others.

The Guest of Honour of this ceremony was Dr Jean de Dieu NGIRABEGA, Deputy Director General in charge HIV/AIDS and Disease Prevention and Control at the Rwanda Bio-Medical Centre, representing the Honorable Minister of Health. Other guests were the Mayor of Rusizi District, the Deputy Director General of EWSA (Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority). Also UNICEF and WHO Officers were present at the ceremony.

The launching ceremony was preceded by a visit of by the Guest of Honour of selected households for hygiene and sanitation check and by official opening of Nkombo Community Health Workers Business Building.

The launching ceremony included, among others, addresses from the Deputy Director General at RBC, the Mayor of Rusizi District, the Deputy Director of EWSA, and the “One UN” Representative, as well as demonstration of hand washing with soap and songs and sketches on hygiene.

The Deputy Director General of EWSA promised that Nkombo Island will be supplied by safe water by August 2014. Implementation studies have already been completed.

Nkombo Island was chosen as the venue of the campaign because it has been reported that some cholera cases as well as other poor hygiene related diseases are rampant due to low coverage of improved latrines and drinking of untreated water from Lake Kivu for majority of the population. Nkombo Island has a population of about 18,000 inhabitants.

In Rwanda, like other developing countries, poor hygiene and sanitation is one of the underlying major causes of diseases such diarrhea and associated diseases and intestinal worms, which usually increase the prevalence of malnutrition and the poverty situation.

While the World celebrates each year the Global Hand Washing Day on 15th October and the World Toilet Day on 19th November, in Rwanda these two events has been combined and were celebrated at the launching of the national six-month hygiene campaign.

The campaign will run through the 16th January to the 16th of July 2014, under the theme “A culture of hygiene for good health and sustainable development”.

The main objective of the campaign is to enhance good hygiene practices, to reduce diarrhea and intestinal worms’ incidences and to contribute to the fight against stunting malnutrition and poverty.

Planned activities after the launching ceremony include:

Organize Media Panel on National TV or Radio , including Community and Private Radios;
Conduct an orientation meeting of all 30 District Health Directors on the six month national campaign;
Conduct a workshop of environmental health officers from 30 Districts to refresh them on the national campaign practical activities;
Distribute water filters and SurEau disinfectant for water treatment for vulnerable families in Nkombo Island, Rusizi District;
Organize hygiene inspection of hospitals and health centres, schools, hotels, restaurants, swimming pools, etc.
Training of environmental health officers in drinking water quality surveillance; system.
The Government of Rwanda is making steady progress in improving personal hygiene practices and promoting hygiene and sanitation in public places. Efforts for the campaign are focused on the promotion of hygiene in six issues:

Hand washing using soap and general body hygiene;
Home water treatment;
The hygienic handling of drinking water and fetching and storage facilities;
The hygienic use of domestic and public latrines;
Food hygiene;
General hygiene in public places, such as health facilities (notably prevention of nosocomial infections), schools, workplaces and food establishments.
Four Committees have been put in place at national and district level to ensure preparation and implementation of the campaign: Coordination Committee, Social Mobilization Committee, Logistics Committee and Monitoring and Evaluation Committee. Mid-way and final reports are expected the third month and the sixth month.

Development Partners include USAID, World Health Organization, UNICEF, UN Habitat, WaterAid, Health Poverty Action (HPA), World Vision, Rwanda Family Health Project, Society for Family Health, Swiss Development Cooperation, Living Water, International Water for People, SNV, Delagua Health Project, Impact Carbon, Solace Ministries, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, International Poverty Action (IPA) and Africa AHEAD.

Mr Jean Pierre RUHIRA PHE/WHO/RWANDA

Launching of hygiene national campaign and global hand washing day in Rwanda 2014