Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Education Funds, on Monday, trained 42 facilitators on water sanitation and hygiene as part of efforts to end open defecation in rural communities.

The RUWASA Director of Sanitation, Obayemi Titilayo, announced this figure during a five-day workshop on Training of Trainers, held in Oyo town.

She said, “The major aim of formation and training of Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committees in every community is to achieve open defecation free and sustainability of community WASH facilities such as community water points and also to reduce or completely eliminate neglected tropical diseases in endemic communities of Ibarapa-East Local Government Area and the state in general.

“Therefore, about 42 facilitators have been trained on WASHCOMs formation. These committees are also expected to continuously sensitize and create awareness at their various communities on the importance of child birth registration.”

Declaring the workshop open, the state RUWASA Chairman, Babalola Afobaje, called for collaboration among all communities to ensure an overall improvement in the general health and sanitation of Ibarapa-East and the state as a whole.

He appreciated the efforts of the government and the technical and funding support of UNICEF at ending open defecation and ensuring healthier citizens for the socio-economic development of the state.

Afobaje specifically applauded the efforts of the present administration for its efforts in curbing outbreaks of any form of epidemics.

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

Johnson said, “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 is known to the government through birth registration on the National Population Commission.”