LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- UNICEF has expanded its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) support programme across the 27 local government areas of Borno State to improve patient safety.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also donated infection prevention materials to more than 200 health facilities across the LGA’s to boost maternal care and upgrade hygiene standards.
The donation was announced on Friday in Maiduguri by the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Francis Butichi, during a meeting with officials of the Borno State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) alongside healthcare authorities.
According to Butichi, the Water, Sanitation, Hygiene Facility Improvement Tools (WASHFIT) initiative is designed to improve the quality, safety, and sustainability of healthcare services, especially for women and children.
He explained that the intervention would help health facilities strengthen infection prevention measures and improve access to clean water.
The purpose of WASHFIT is to also encourage proper hygiene practices and enhance healthcare waste management across the state.
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“WASHFIT supports health facilities to strengthen infection prevention and control, improve access to safe and reliable water, promote appropriate hygiene practices, and enhance healthcare waste management— measures that are essential to protecting patients, health workers, and the community from preventable infections,” he said.
Butichi disclosed that health centres in all 27 LGAs would benefit from the support programme.
“We are targeting all the 27 LGAs and we have over 200 health facilities in the 27 LGAs that will benefit from this donation,” he stated.
The UNICEF official noted that the materials, which include buckets, sprayers, detergents, and other sanitation items, would significantly improve healthcare delivery in the affected facilities.
“I am pleased to announce that the assessment was fully aligned with national standards and with WHO and UNICEF global guidance. These materials which consists of Buckets, sprayers, detergents among others will go a long way in ensuring the quality of services that are being provided at the health facilities,” Butichi added.
He also linked poor healthcare environments to maternal deaths in Nigeria, stressing the importance of safe delivery conditions for pregnant women.
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“For instance, you are aware that many women have died while giving birth. In Nigeria, every 7 minutes, a woman dies while giving birth, and mostly, it’s because of the environment or the safety of the equipment they are using for delivering and that is why we are providing these tools,” Butichi added.
Meanwhile, Butichi highlighted the supplies as UNICEF’s commitment to supporting government efforts in addressing urgent gaps in water, sanitation, hygiene, and infection prevention standards in healthcare facilities.
In response, the General Manager of the Borno State RUWASSA, Muhammad Aliyu, praised the intervention, describing it as timely support for vulnerable women and children in the state.
“We commend UNICEF for this initiative and especially the timeliness of this assistance. As an agency, we will ensure that the materials are well utilized and maintained,” Aliyu said.
The latest intervention is expected to strengthen healthcare services in Borno State, particularly in rural communities where access to safe hygiene facilities remains a major challenge.
