Handwashing remains a cornerstone in breaking the chain of the spread of infectious diseases. As such, at DRASA we are on a mission to develop more health and hygiene champions who will help build and contribute to healthier communities through clean hands and other important prevention practices.
This is why on the 18th of October, to commemorate the 2023 Global Handwashing Day, we launched the second edition of our DRASA Radio Half Hour show to educate Nigerians on the importance of handwashing and to help them embrace this habit as a vital part of preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The DRASA Radio Half Hour is a weekly show where we have important conversations on staying healthy in our homes and communities and this season ran for 4 weeks.
In this second edition, we dove into the essentials of keeping our hands squeaky clean and how this plays a pivotal role in safeguarding our health. We covered four important topics in English and Nigerian Pidgin across two of Nigeria’s top radio stations—Inspiration 92.3 FM Lagos and Wazobia 99.5 FM Abuja, with an estimated reach of approximately 2.5 million and 2.8 million listeners respectively.
We began these weekly episodes by taking our listeners on a journey through time to uncover the history or origin of handwashing and how the discovery of hand hygiene has shaped our approach to preventing infections and saving lives. In the subsequent weeks, we also taught how germs spread and why handwashing remains the easiest means to prevent germ transfer. There were also sessions on how to perform a proper handwash, what areas are important to wash, when to wash our hands in our homes, hospitals, and communities, as well as how to promote the culture of handwashing.
But we did not just make time to teach our listeners, we also kept the phone lines open to engage with them, listen to their contributions, answer their questions, break down the key steps, debunk common myths, and give them a chance to showcase what they learned through a short quiz. Winners received the DRASA Hygiene Kit as our contribution towards encouraging this culture of hand hygiene in communities.
To relive the moments and catch up on any missed episodes, click here for English and click here for Pidgin.
