A simple act that takes less than a minute could help protect thousands of families in Migori County from preventable infections, but health officials warn that the fight against disease remains incomplete without reliable access to clean water, functional handwashing stations and safe sanitation facilities.
As Migori joined the world in marking Global Handwashing Day on October 15, county health leaders called on households, schools, healthcare facilities, food vendors and businesses to make handwashing with soap and running water a daily habit rather than a practice reserved for hospital visits or disease outbreaks.
Under the theme “Be a Handwashing Champion,” the campaign sought to turn an everyday hygiene routine into a community-wide defence against diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections and other illnesses spread through contaminated hands, food, water and surfaces.
But behind the campaign’s simple message lies a bigger public-health challenge: ensuring that every household and public institution has the water, sanitation infrastructure and facilities needed to practise safe hygiene consistently.
Mr Caleb Opondi, Migori County Chief Executive Member of Health and coordinator of the Kenya Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (K-WASH) programme, said proper handwashing was essential to preventing disease transmission and strengthening the county’s preparedness against outbreaks.
“The construction and availability of sanitation facilities must go hand in hand with proper hygiene practices,” was the central message of the campaign as health officials urged residents to embrace handwashing at critical moments, particularly after visiting the toilet and before preparing or eating food.
Mr Opondi said the county was working to improve sanitation and expand access to handwashing points in homes and public institutions, while strengthening community awareness to reduce the risk of outbreaks such as cholera.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance against infectious diseases, including Ebola, through good hygiene, early reporting of suspected cases and compliance with public-health guidance.
The hidden danger on unwashed hands
Health officials say handwashing remains one of the most accessible and cost-effective ways to interrupt the transmission of infectious diseases.
Hands routinely come into contact with faecal matter, contaminated surfaces, food and bodily fluids. Without proper washing, disease-causing organisms can move from hands to the mouth, eyes, food, utensils and other people.
The consequences can be severe, particularly for young children, older people and individuals whose health is already compromised.
Diarrhoeal illnesses can cause dehydration and may become life-threatening when treatment is delayed. Respiratory infections can also spread through contaminated hands when people touch their eyes, nose or mouth after contact with infectious material.
Washing hands with soap and clean running water helps remove dirt, germs and potentially infectious material. The World Health Organization recommends washing hands at key moments, including before preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet and after cleaning a child who has defecated.
For the practice to become routine, however, households need more than public-health messages. They need accessible water, soap and conveniently placed handwashing facilities.
County targets sanitation gaps
Mrs Mabel Chanzu, Migori County Chief Officer for Public Health and Sanitation, emphasised that hygiene promotion must extend beyond hospitals and health campaigns into the places where people live, learn, work and eat.
She pointed to community dispensaries, health centres and household sanitation as important fronts in the fight against preventable infections.
She also linked the handwashing campaign to preparations for World Toilet Day, observed annually on November 19, saying that safe sanitation and personal hygiene must be addressed together.
Properly constructed and maintained latrines, she stressed, should be accompanied by effective handwashing facilities and safe disposal of human waste.
A latrine without adequate sanitation practices can still expose communities to disease when faecal matter contaminates water, soil, food or household surroundings.
The county’s message is therefore aimed at changing behaviour as well as improving infrastructure: residents must use latrines correctly, keep them clean and ensure that handwashing facilities are available and functional.
Health facilities and schools are particularly important because large numbers of people pass through them every day. A shortage of water or soap in such settings can undermine hygiene measures and increase the risk of infections spreading.
Sanitation coverage improves, but questions remain
Mr Kenneth Okumu, Migori County Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Coordinator, highlighted improvements in sanitation coverage, saying the county was working to extend access to safe sanitation across households, schools and healthcare facilities.
According to the figures cited by county officials, sanitation coverage rose from 72 per cent in 2023 to as high as 91 per cent in the latest assessment.
However, another figure of 78 per cent was also referenced in the campaign briefing, apparently reflecting a different institutional measure or category of sanitation coverage.
The county needs to clarify the difference between the figures, including the geographical coverage, reporting period and sanitation indicators used, to provide residents with an accurate picture of progress.
Even where latrine ownership is high, access to safely managed sanitation cannot be assumed.
Facilities must be usable, hygienic and appropriately maintained, while waste must be contained and disposed of safely.
The next phase of the county’s sanitation agenda will therefore require attention to both household behaviour and the quality of existing facilities.
Cholera prevention begins at home
The emphasis on handwashing comes amid persistent public-health concerns about waterborne and sanitation-related diseases.
Cholera, for instance, can spread when people consume water or food contaminated with the bacterium that causes the disease.
It can lead to severe watery diarrhoea and dangerous dehydration, sometimes developing rapidly without treatment.
Safe drinking water, proper sanitation, handwashing with soap and prompt access to treatment are central to preventing deaths from cholera.
Hand hygiene also complements other measures used to control infectious diseases.
It cannot replace safe water systems, vaccination where recommended, disease surveillance, appropriate protective equipment or infection-prevention procedures in healthcare settings.
For Ebola, prevention requires a broader set of measures, including early detection, isolation and care of suspected cases, contact tracing and appropriate protective procedures for people caring for patients. Handwashing remains an important component of infection prevention, but it is not a stand-alone solution.
County officials are therefore encouraging residents to take hygiene seriously even when no outbreak has been reported, rather than waiting for an emergency before adopting protective habits.
Schools, markets and health centres on the frontline
The county’s campaign also places responsibility on institutions that serve large numbers of people.
Schools need functional handwashing points near toilets and eating areas, with a reliable supply of water and soap. Teachers and school administrators can reinforce the habit by making handwashing part of pupils’ daily routines.
Food handlers, restaurant operators and market traders also have a responsibility to maintain hygiene while preparing, handling and selling food.
At healthcare facilities, hand hygiene is a fundamental infection-prevention measure for protecting patients, health workers and visitors. Facilities must ensure that water and hand hygiene supplies are consistently available.
At household level, health officials are urging residents to install simple handwashing stations near latrines and cooking areas. Where permanent plumbing is unavailable, appropriately designed low-cost facilities can make the practice easier, provided clean water and soap are replenished regularly.
A simple habit with far-reaching benefits
Global Handwashing Day provides an opportunity to assess whether public-health messages are translating into everyday practice.
For Migori, the campaign’s success will depend not only on public participation but also on sustained investment in clean water, sanitation facilities, hygiene education and the maintenance of existing infrastructure.
Mr Opondi Mrs chanzu and Mr Okumu’s message converges on one point: disease prevention begins long before a patient reaches a hospital.
As the county prepares for World Toilet Day next month, residents are being encouraged to make handwashing an everyday responsibility and to treat safe sanitation as a shared community priority.
The message is straightforward: wash hands with soap and clean water at critical moments, use and maintain safe toilets, protect drinking water from contamination and seek medical care promptly when symptoms of serious illness develop.
A handwashing station may look like a small intervention, but when supported by clean water, soap and consistent habits, it can become an important line of defence against preventable disease.
For Migori’s health authorities, the challenge is to ensure that no family is left without the basic facilities needed to turn that simple message into a lifesaving routine.
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