Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on 15 October as an international event to promote the handwashing campaign. The day is observed to mobilize and motivate people across the globe to add the handwashing habit in their lifestyles in an improved way.
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Date and Time of Global Handwashing Day Observance
15th of October.
History of Global Handwashing Day
In 2008, the global handwashing partnership had laid the foundation of Global Handwashing Day with the local and global vision of promoting the habit of washing hands with soap. It was established in Stockholm Sweden at the annual World Water Week. This year was also celebrated as the International year of sanitation.
Many researchers highlighted the issue that many Americans many Canadian and American adults have not been washing their hands with soap. This assessment raised the need to aware people of the importance of handwashing.
The first Global Handwashing Day was declared by the UN General Assembly on 15 October 2008.
The campaign was initiated to decrease the rate of mortality e in childhood by introducing simple behavioral habits for preventing diarrhea and respiratory diseases. The researches and studies suggested that simple acts of change such as handwashing with soap can decrease the childhood mortality rate because of respiratory diseases by about 50%.
Global Handwashing Day Celebration
Global Handwashing Day is celebrated by raising awareness through campaigns and promotional materials about washing hands with so for disease prevention.
The World Health Organisation observes the world hand hygiene day on the 5th of May.
Why is Global Handwashing Day Celebrated?
The Global Handwashing Day observances aim at:
- Supporting in fostering not just the Habit but the culture of handwashing with soap
- To make people aware of the situation of handwashing in societies and ultimately the countries
- Spotlighting the benefits and importance of handwashing with soap.
Significance of Global Handwashing Day
It is important to wash your hands with soap at critical points of the day.
Hand-washing is one of the most vital steps of the complete sanitation process.
The Global Handwashing Day aids in raising the awareness of why the hand-washing habit is important and what role does it play in a healthy and disease-free life.
As per the researches and practical observances washing hands with soap plays a vital role in the prevention of many diseases.
The Importance of Handwashing
Handwashing is the least expensive and most effective action to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
Pneumonia holds the first position in killing under 5 years old children. Every year, this cause of mortality takes the lives of about 1.8 million children.
Pneumonia and diarrhea together are responsible for an estimated 3.5 million child deaths per year.
A huge number of children, who are under the age of five, can be saved by developing the habit of handwashing with soap. It is so because this practice reduces the cases of respiratory infections by 21% and diarrhea by 30% in this age group.
Interesting Facts and Figures about Global Handwashing Day
- About 60% of health workers fall into that category in which proper hand hygiene is not practiced.
- As per the report by us centers who work for disease prevention and control, the US Healthcare providers do not wash their hands half of the time they should.
- As per the data collected by the researchers the intestinal and respiratory diseases can be controlled and reduced from the improved handwashing habit by 25 to 50%.
- Over 200 million people observe the Global handwashing day every year.
- On 15 October 2014, 1,276,425 children had participated in a massive handwashing program that was organized in an Indian state called Madhya Pradesh, marking its name in the Guinness World Record. The children had participated in about 51 different districts.
Themes
Every annual Global Handwashing Day observance takes place with a pre-decided theme for sensitizing the general mass about the issue with a unique idea and message.
An Appeal
Even a little habit can make significant changes in life; the habit of handwashing is also such a habit that does not seem to be worth noticing but it is indeed.
It contributes to the good health of not only yourself but also to the others living with or around you.
Females or males who cook for their children are advised to make hand washing an essential habit of their day-to-day lives.
As per the research done in Kenya, the study reports suggest that peer pressure or Peer influence work wonders in improving the handwashing habits of children. It is observed that children are more prone to wash their hands in the presence of other children.
It is indeed a good idea to humbly suggest your friends or family members for washing their hands with soap if they are ignorant about this practice.
Especially in the present era, when the entire human society is under attack of the Corona Virus, let's follow the hand-washing practices tirelessly as a collective preventive step of prevention that is better than cure.
