By Opeyemi Muhammad
Lagos, Jan. 28, ’25 (TNZ) Two health regulatory agencies in Lagos State have trained 48 healthcare officers from the six health districts in Lagos State on the use of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Facility Improvement Tools (WASHFITs).
TheNewszenith reports that the agencies are the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board (LSPHCB) and the Ministry of Health, collaborating with WaterAid Nigeria.
The WASHFITs tool is a practical assessment framework. It is designed to evaluate and improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) practices within healthcare facilities.
This aims to ensure clean and safe environments for staff and patients by identifying areas for improvement and prioritising actions to address them through a structured plan.
The three-day workshop, funded by Kimberly Clark, aimed to enhance the capacity of healthcare workers to understand and implement WASHFITs was held in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The programme also focuses on developing a monitoring and evaluation system to address the healthcare needs of organisations effectively.
Dr Alao Adebayo, Head of WaterAid Nigeria’s Lagos Programme, spoke to newsmen on the sidelines of the workshop.
Adebayo said the organisation had made significant investments in WASHFITs, including the rehabilitation of two primary health centres in Ojodu and Ikorodu North.
“These centres serve as models for the Lagos State government to adopt comprehensive and inclusive WASH facilities,” TheNewsZenith quotes him as saying.
He explained that the training stemmed from evidence-based assessments identifying gaps in Lagos State’s healthcare sector.
Adebayo called on the Lagos State government to invest further in WASH infrastructures in healthcare facilities.
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He also encouraged participants to cascade their knowledge to other healthcare workers in the state.
Also speaking, Dr Medinat Akiolu, Disease Control Programme Officer at LSPHCB, emphasized the critical role of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in ensuring effective healthcare delivery.
Akiolu highlighted the importance of maintaining cleanliness to prevent infections, promote public health, and support social and economic development.
Other participants at the workshop expressed appreciation for WaterAid Nigeria’s support.
They pledged to apply their newly acquired knowledge to foster collaborative learning environments.
Participants pledged their commitment to empowering other health workers with skills in data collection and the application of WASHFITs indicators.
As part of the training, participants conducted fieldwork in four primary health centres in Ikorodu, Ojodu, Ikeja and Surulere.
They used the seven WASHFITs indicators to carry out on-the-spot assessments.
The indicators are water, sanitation, healthcare waste, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, energy and environment, and Management and Workforce. (TNZ)
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