"Clean hands save lives” — Global Handwashing Day

Global Handwashing Day 2011 is celebrated by millions of people worldwide

NEW YORK, 14 October 2011 – UNICEF joins hundreds of millions of people across the globe tomorrow in celebrating the 4th annual Global Handwashing Day, emphasizing the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective, simple, and affordable way to prevent disease.

A number of exciting events are taking place for the 2011 celebration of Global Handwashing Day on 15 October. Teachers, parents, celebrities and government officials are motivating millions to lather up to prevent life-threatening diseases such as diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections.

In Fiji, about 5,000 shoppers witnessed the celebrations which were organised by corporate partners (Colgate Palmolive and SCA Australiasia), Government (Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health), Non-Governmental Organisations (Live and Learn) and UNICEF in the capital Suva.

In Afghanistan, 1.7 million children from 1,700 schools will wash hands; in Eritrea, 326,809 children in 1,272 schools will do the same. In Peru, the government has declared a national handwashing week as of 10 October, and events will involve 3.5 million students in 20,000 schools. Eight million children in Rajasthan, India, and over 1 million children in Pakistan will also participate in handwashing events. These and other activities promise to surpass celebrations in 2010, which saw 200 million people and 700,000 schools in over 70 countries honouring the day.

These events are aimed at spreading a life-saving message: clean hands save lives. UNICEF estimates that diarrhoea kills 1.1 million children every year, and pneumonia-related illnesses take another 1.2 million child lives. Handwashing with soap prevents disease in a more straightforward and cost-effective way than any single vaccine.

The simple act of washing hands with soap at critical moments – such as after using the toilet or before handling food – is an easy and affordable intervention that can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea among children under five by almost 50 per cent, and cut respiratory infections by as much as 25 per cent.

“Soap is not in short supply, even in developing countries,” said Therese Dooley, UNICEF’s Senior Adviser for Hygiene and Sanitation. “The vast majority of poor households have soap in the home. The problem is that soap is used for laundry or bathing, but rarely for handwashing.” Dooley added that UNICEF would like to ensure handwashing with soap becomes a social norm in all countries.

Governments around the world have now adopted Global Handwashing Day as a national celebration, wanting the event to be more than just a day, and to ensure that handwashing with soap is promoted throughout the year. In 2010, for example, 2,000 children in Suva, the capital of Fiji participated in mass handwashing demonstrations on October 15. The event was used as a platform for the Fiji government to declare October 15th as National Handwashing Day, which aims to change the way the country uses soap, and in particular to promote its use in handwashing.

Pranab Shah, UNICEF Pacific Water and Sanitation Specialist said “Global Handwashing Day shines a spotlight on the importance of handwashing with soap and water as one of the most effective and affordable health interventions.”

“We hope that other countries in the region will follow Fiji’s example and not just make October 15th a National Handwashing Day, but will invest in a handwashing campaign so that everyone especially children will be accustomed to this life saving habit.”

About Global Handwashing Day:

Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on October 15. The Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap initiated Global Handwashing Day in 2008, and it is endorsed by governments, international institutions, civil society organisations, NGOs, private companies and individuals around the globe. Visit www.globalhandwashingday.org

About UNICEF

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org
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