The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), has called on Ghana’s private sector, faith-based organisations, traditional authorities, and citizens to take leadership in sustaining hygiene practices beyond annual campaigns. Speaking at the 2025 Global Handwashing Day celebration in Accra, the Minister emphasised that lasting behavioural change in hygiene requires collective ownership, investment, and leadership at all levels of society.

He stressed that the sustainability of hygiene promotion cannot rely solely on donor funding but must be locally driven through innovative financing and community commitment. The Minister proposed that part of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) be ring-fenced to support hygiene-related interventions and called on the private sector to prioritise hygiene within their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim also urged faith leaders, traditional rulers, and local champions — from pastors and imams to queen mothers, teachers, and market women — to become active advocates of hygiene in their communities. He noted that true heroism lies in the quiet, consistent actions of ordinary Ghanaians who model clean habits and influence others by example.

“Heroism is not only in words but in consistent action — from the nurse who insists on hygiene to the market woman who provides soap at her stall,” the Minister said, underscoring that every act of cleanliness strengthens Ghana’s collective defence against disease and environmental threats.

The commemoration also featured the symbolic National Handwashing Hero Pledge, uniting participants under a shared commitment to make handwashing an everyday lifestyle. Media partners were encouraged to continue highlighting hygiene stories throughout the year to sustain national momentum towards behavioural change.

Source: Darling Maame Efua Cann
MLGCRA: Public Relations Unit

The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs (MLGCRA), is strengthening efforts to institutionalise hygiene promotion within local governance structures. Speaking at the 2025 Global Handwashing Day commemoration in Accra, the Minister, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), outlined practical steps being taken through the 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to make handwashing a permanent feature of community life.

He explained that local governments are at the frontline of promoting sanitation and hygiene, adding that the Ministry is integrating hygiene performance into the assessment framework for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). This, he said, is to ensure accountability, consistency, and leadership in advancing environmental health at the grassroots level.

Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim further highlighted Ghana’s progress under several national frameworks, including the National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (NESSAP), the Rural Sanitation Model and Strategy (RSMS), and the National Open Defecation Free (ODF) and Safely Managed Sanitation Roadmap. These, he noted, serve as guiding blueprints for sustainable sanitation and hygiene improvement across the country.

To date, over 6,000 handwashing stations have been installed nationwide, with hand hygiene education fully integrated into the School Health Education Programme (SHEP). Local initiatives such as “Clean Hands for Clean Communities” are also being promoted by MMDAs to encourage consistent hygiene practices at home, in schools, and in markets.

“Handwashing is not an isolated activity but a pillar of environmental sanitation and public health,” Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim remarked, reaffirming government’s commitment to deepening inter-ministerial collaboration with the Ministries of Health, Education, and Water Resources, as well as development partners in the WASH sector.

Source: Darling Maame Efua Cann
MLGCRA: Public Relations Unit

Ghana’s Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim (MP), has called for a sustained national culture of handwashing as a patriotic act and a pillar of public health resilience. Speaking at the 2025 Global Handwashing Day commemoration in Accra, the Minister urged citizens to move beyond awareness and make handwashing a lifestyle that reflects Ghana’s collective commitment to health, dignity, and sustainable development.

He noted that cultivating a handwashing culture must transcend annual campaigns to become a national habit anchored in care, responsibility, and self-discipline. The Minister emphasised that hygiene is both a personal and civic duty — a simple yet powerful act that contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those on good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and climate resilience (SDG 13).

“Every clean hand is a symbol of care, every wash is a shield against disease, and every handwashing hero is a builder of a healthy Ghana,” Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim declared, reinforcing that Ghana’s progress toward health security and sustainable development begins with consistent individual responsibility.

The 2025 Global Handwashing Day, observed under the theme “Clean Hands Are Within Reach,” provided a platform for government, partners, and citizens to reaffirm their collective role in building a healthier, cleaner, and more resilient nation.

Source: Darling Maame Efua Cann
MLGCRA: Public Relations Unit