Worldwide Locations
Hand Hygiene saves lives
09/10/2009
15th October, 2009 marks the annual Global Handwashing Day, aimed at increasing awareness and
understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases.
Building on a hugely successful inaugural Global Handwashing Day in 2008 - in which over 120 million children around the world washed their hands with soap in more than 70 countries, this year it is anticipated that millions of children across five continents will celebrate Global Handwashing Day again.
Around the world, children, teachers, parents, celebrities, and government officials plan to mobilize and motivate millions to lather up in order to reduce life-threatening diseases, such as diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections.
In New Zealand, Initial Hygiene employees will be wearing badges and handing out hand washing labels promoting the hand hygiene message. In addition, they will be collecting donations for Save the Children, to continue joint work in building sanitation facilities in less developed countries, as well as promoting hand hygiene education.
“Hand washing is vital to remaining healthy,”says Geoff Polkinghorne, General Manager, Initial Hygiene, New Zealand. “Washing your hands at critical times such as before eating, and after going to the toilet will ensure that the incidence of diarrhoea is decreased. We are celebrating this event, and also fundraising for Save the Children as we are passionate about promoting and educating the public about the importance of hand hygiene.”
Children suffer disproportionately from diarrheal diseases - with more than 3.5 million children under five dying every year from diarrhoea and pneumonia-related diseases. The simple act of washing hands with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrheal rates among children under five by almost 50 percent, and respiratory infections by nearly 25 percent.
Handwashing with soap - particularly at critical moments, including after using the toilet and before handling food - is a key cost effective and life-saving intervention. Research in several developing countries illustrates that lack of soap is usually not the barrier – with the vast majority of even poor
households having soap at home – rather, the problem is that soap is rarely used for handwashing.
Initial Hygiene and Save the Children
As part of Initial’s global “Hands on Hygiene” programme for the next 3 years, Initial plans to work with Save the Children to implement sanitation facilities for schools as part of the ‘Rewrite the Future’ projects. The first project started in February 2009, in the Ivory Coast.
As the first in a series of initiatives, Initial and Save the Children have started a school project in Abengourou, providing toilet facilities for girls and boys, a new water point as well as a new point for hand washing. In addition, the school will be provided with soap and a Hygiene Committee will be put in place to ensure that children learn about hygienic behaviour and develop new habits.
Global Handwashing Day was initiated in 2008 by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, and it is endorsed by a wide array of governments, international
institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies and individuals around the globe.
For further information, please visit www.globalhandwashingday.org
