Oyo Govt Trains Facilitators On WASHCOMs Formation To Reduce Rate of Open Defecation

Oyo State Government has begun training of Facilitators on Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOMs) Formation and Training in readiness for Community-led Total Sanitation Implementation to drive all communities in Ibarapa-East Local Government Area to attain the status of Open Defecation Free ODF in the area 

Chairman of the State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, (OYORUWASSA), Alhaji Babalola Afobaje, declared open the 

5-day Training of Trainers (ToT)

workshop held at Plaza de Aruna Hotel Oyo Town, Oyo State, in partnership with the United Nations Children Education Funds (UNICEF)

He appreciated the efforts of the Oyo State Government and the technical and funding supports of UNICEF at ending open defecation and ensuring healthier citizens for socio-economic development of the State. 

The Chairman  applauded the efforts of the present administration in the State for its efforts in curbing outbreak of any form of epidemics.

Afobaje called for collaboration among all communities at ensuring an overall improvement in the general health and sanitation of Ibarapa-East and the state as a whole.

Also speaking, the UNICEF WASH Specialist, Mr. Monday Johnson, said the participants will form and train WASHCOMs members who will ensure that their respective communities in Ibarapa-East LGA become open defecation-free and sustain it. 

He added that at the end, hygiene practices, such as regular hand washing, must be inculcated as preventive measures to curb the spread of diseases.

Also, the WASHCOMs would ensure that every child in Ibarapa-East LGA is known to government through birth registration on National Population Commission.

The Director for Sanitation, Mrs. Obayemi Titilayo, stated that the major aim of formation and training of WASHCOMs in every community is to  achieve ODF and sustainability  of community WASH faclities such as community water points and also to reduce or completely eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in endemic communities of Ibarapa-East LGA and the State as whole. 

She said forty-two facilitators on Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOMs) formation were trained.

She added that the WASHCOMs are also expected to continously sensitize/create awareness at their various communities on the importance of child birth registration