Global Handwashing Day

Logo used for Global Handwashing Day around the world. Shown in the image are water, soap, and hand

Global Handwashing Day (GHD) is a campaign to motivate and mobilize millions around the world to wash their hands with soap. It takes place on October 15 of each year. The campaign is dedicated to raising awareness of handwashing with soap as a key approach to disease prevention.

It was made at the annual World Water Week 2008, which was held in Stockholm from August 17 to 23 and initiated the Public Private Partnership for Handwashing (PPPHW). The Global Handwashing Day took place for the first time on October 15, 2008, the date appointed by UN General Assembly in accordance with year 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation.

The theme for Global Handwashing Day’s inaugural year was Focus on School Children. The members pledged to get the maximum number of school children handwashing with soap in more than 70 countries.

Background

The campaign was initiated to reduce mortality rates related to diarrhea diseases by introducing simple behavioral changes, such as hand washing with soap, which according to research can reduce the rate by almost 50 per cent.

Importance of the movement

Hand washing with soap is the single most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infections (ARI), as automatic behavior performed in homes, schools, and communities worldwide. Pneumonia, a major ARI, is the number one cause of mortality among children under five years old, taking the life of an estimated 1.8 million children per year. Diarrhea and pneumonia together account for almost 3.5 million child deaths annually. According to the official site, turning hand washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit was projected to save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter.

Implementation and management

The Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap (PPPHW) established Global Handwashing Day in 2008 as a stimulating way to promote a global and local vision of handwashing with soap. Members of the PPPHW include the World Bank and Water and Sanitation Program (WSP), host of the PPPHW; the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Procter & Gamble; Unilever; the Water Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC); the Hygiene Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM); Johns Hopkins University (JHU); and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Resource for information and activities for the event coordinated through its official website.

In each country where activities are planned, a convening institution brings together other organizations that have an interest in handwashing to coordinate activities. The 70 countries include: Afghanistan, Angola, UAE, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor Leste, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Founding bodies

Companies	Members
Academy for Educational Development
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Procter and Gamble	Ryan Helzerman Aziz Jindani
UNICEF	Therese Dooley
Unilever	Myriam Sidibe Shweta Harit
Water & Sanitation Program
USAID - HIP

Turnout across the globe

Afghanistan

A committee led by the Health Ministry drove the implementation of the following activities on 15 October and onwards: Launch of Global Handwashing Day in a primary school in Kabul by the Minister of Public Health. Of handwashing and other related competitions in school across 32 provinces organized by the Ministry of Education, panel discussion on Handwashing on National TV, radio program on Handwashing -for a month. - And newspapers supplement on handwashing.

Bangladesh

More than 14.4 million Bangladeshi children from nearly 73,000 schools joined in this event, pledging to promote hand washing with soap after using the toilet and before eating. Millions of children from over 70 countries across the continents also participated in the Global Hand Washing Day. This initiative – the first of its kind - was organized by the Global Public Private Partnership on Hand Washing (PPPHW), which includes soap companies, NGOs, and UN organizations. And The Biggest hand washing day was held on dhaka residentsial model college

At Puranpara Government Primary School in Narsingdi district, a wall magazine was displayed, encouraging students to participate in a painting competition with the theme of a hand washing. A total of 300 students were present and actively involved in various activities. Shuchi, Pakhee and Faisal demonstrated before their peers the correct method of hand washing with soap. Shuchi described the six critical times for the students to wash their hands: before eating; before feeding children; before preparing or serving food; after using the latrine; after cleaning babies; and after disposal of child faeces. Faisal sang a song insisting all students copy him by using safe hand-washing practices (Cholo jai, haath dhui).

Fahima Tabassum Oishi, a Class-V student, said that whenever she sees someone at home or outside eating without washing their hands with soap, she warns them of the health hazards and teaches them the correct way to wash their hands. Majedul Haque Shubho, a student of the same class, demonstrated the methodical way of hand washing.

Cambodia

National launch ceremony included, as guest speakers, the Ministers of Rural Development, Health and Education, participants included local comedian Chhab Chean, school children and His Majesty the King of Cambodia. Events included television advertising, primary school activities and ceremonies in 100 villages in nine provinces.

All primary schools throughout the country had been advised to celebrate GHD on October 15 and had been provided with materials and guidelines.

China

On Global Handwashing Day, there were education activities on proper handwashing methods, involving 8 million students in 10 provinces in school campuses nationwide. Government officials from the Ministry of Education and other Public and Private sector partners announced the ‘Healthy Great Wall’ Foundation with the aim of reaching 100 million Chinese kids by 2015. Also, a mass billboard campaign and TV spots were reminders to participate in the celebration.

The event, which featured games and educational activities for children, promoted correct handwashing technique and attracted an estimated 2,000 local residents and students. The event was organized by National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee, and Health Education Institute of China CDC with support from UNICEF.

Egypt

The hand washing day initiative was launched as part of the School Sanitation and Hygiene Education Project (SSHE), that is supported by UNICEF, the provincial authorities, the Egyptian Ministry of Education, USAID and the Water Authority. The SSHE project engages the teachers, the parents associations and the children of some 159 primary schools, and communities in three districts of Sohag governorate, namely Dar El Salam, Geheina and Sakolta

At Al Jihad Al Guedida Primary school in the village of Medinat Geheina, there has been a flurry of activity for the past four weeks. Helped by their teachers as well as their parents, young boys and girls have worked very hard to make the Global Hand-washing Day a real celebration. The walls of the school are covered with posters and drawings made by the children Teamwork has paid well and the children are reciting poems, verses and songs around the benefits of washing hands with soap and especially prepared for the occasion. Later, to a large gathering of fellow pupils, parents, teachers and local officials, a group of young boys went on stage to perform a 5-minute play they had written with the help of their teachers about the importance of personal hygiene and the environment.

In Upper Egypt, children have become real agents of changes. By talking to their parents about simple behavioral changes such as washing hands with soap before and after eating or after using the toilets, these school children are spreading around awareness for a hygienically healthier life. Inspired by their children, parents’ behaviour is also changing. They pay more attention to the personal hygiene of their children.

Ethiopia

The half-day Global Handwashing Day national event held at Maskal Square featured over 300 schoolchildren from five elementary schools. They marched and sang to promote handwashing with soap as an important hygienic practice that reduces the prevalence of diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory illnesses, which together kill 3.5 million children worldwide each year!

Germany

50,000 handwashing posters and workbooks were sent by SCA to German primary schools.

Ghana

Global Handwashing Day in Ghana started with a launching event at a Children’s Park on 15 October 2008, with the attendance of local authorities and representatives from both the Public and Private sectors. With the help of the National School Health Educational Program (NSHEP), schools nationwide marked the day. Children were in charge of the Handwashing Stations and parades in Accra and Tamele to sensitize the public to wash their hands. Radio and TV talk shows – panel discussions, PSA on handwashing with soap. There was also a children’s forum on handwashing and development and dissemination of IEC materials on HWWS.

India

In September and October, a mass media campaign was held in India with the support of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, two hugely popular cricket celebrities.

Almost 1 million school teachers received training courses to execute the campaign and to reach out to about 100 million school children. Materials developed included: posters, teacher training module on handwashing, pamphlet with pledge for students, TV spots and radio jingles, all including 25 seconds central song on the 5 steps for correct handwashing.

The concerned ministers at national and state levels launched the campaign on 15 October by participating in the handwashing activities with children in rural schools. Activities in schools included: children pledging towards hygiene, organized handwashing games and washing hands in a giant waterfall.

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and his teammates joined an estimated 100 million schoolchildren around the country in lathering up for better health and hygiene as part of the first Global Handwashing Day.

Iraq

There were activities held in schools in northern Iraq, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The activities included: conducting activities in 24 primary schools, where a number of headmasters were invited to witness the activities on that day. Also, students designed posters with the messages provided by the WASH program. Hygiene kits were provided to 24 schools. The school activity centre prepared songs written specially for this occasion, and they were sung by the school children. The songs were recorded in CD and copies of these were provided to other schools.

Kenya

A National event was held in Kisumu Town. This was a road show involving school children around Kisumu Municipality led by education officials on motorbikes and trucks to the ground. The commemoration was led by the Minister for Public Health and Sanitation, and it included poems, songs, drama and speeches by children.

Seven more districts held activities on Global handwashing Day - In addition to Nairobi, Mombasa, Nyeri, Machakos, Busia, Trans Nzoia and Wajir - Ministry of Education and Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation relayed information to their officers on the ground to commemorate this day by involving schools within their jurisdiction to wash hands on that day. 100,000 children were reached across the country on that day. Information was relayed to the national secretariat through SMS on the numbers who had washed their hands.

Laos

On 13 October the Ministry of Education organized a Hygiene and Sanitation Day and activities that were held during the extracurricular hours in all primary and secondary schools and teacher training colleges throughout the country.

Activities included cleaning the school and its surrounding environment, displaying banners in school to promote handwashing and good hygiene practices, putting handwashing with soap into practice, singing hygiene songs and playing games. During the week advertisements aired on the national TV and provincial radios In the Vientiane capital street banners highlighting the Global Handwashing Day and key messages were put up along the main roads.

Madagascar

In Madagascar 19,300 primary schools participated in a week-long event. Handwashing with soap activities involving schools and the community, culminated on October 15 with 3.5 million children washing hands with soap at noon. President Ravalomanana led the Day. Three Ministries issued a joint statement to the Prime Minister to officialize Global Handwashing Day. A parade of schoolchildren through the capital took place on October 15.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, Global Handwashing Day was celebrated providing handwashing sampling in schools, kindergarten and clinics. There was also news coverage and advertisements on TV, radio and print media. Malaysia declared the whole month “the month of handwashing with soap”.

Mongolia

Mongolia marked Global Handwashing Day by reaching out to school children through engaging communication materials including Public Service Announcements and short cartoon animations on proper handwashing practice. On October 15, the Ministers of Health and Education opened a kindergarten and promoted the practice of proper handwashing in the Bayangol district of Ulaanbaatar City. Also, Provincial Governors demonstrated proper handwashing practice to school children in four provincial capitals namely Bayan-Ulgii, Khovd, Uvs and Dornod.

Educational and information efforts, targeting school and kindergarten children and their parents, were embarked on in each district of Ulaanbaatar by Public and Private Partnership, formed by government and nongovernmental organizations, international agencies and the private sector, such as the Ministry of Education Culture and Science, Ministry of Health and its agencies, UNICEF, Word Vision, Save the Children UK and Mon-Chemo Co. Ltd.

Nepal

Nepal Telecom mobile users received a text message with the slogan, "Let's wash our hands and keep ourselves healthy!" And drivers from the Rickshaw Pullers Association raised awareness in all corners of the three major Kathmandu Valley cities. Their rickshaws were decorated with handwashing messages, and the drivers disseminated pamphlets and stickers to thousands of people.

Schools also got involved in the campaign when the Private and Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON) announced that all of its 9,000 member schools would make sure soap and water are available in all school toilets, bathrooms and canteens.

The General Post Office announced that it would use a postmark with a special handwashing message to stamp all the letters and documents posted for 15 days.

Pakistan

Global Handwashing Day was officially endorsed by the Ministry of Environment of Pakistan, the lead agency for the implementation of the International Year of Sanitation in Pakistan. Local coalition included participants from 25 organizations representing Government, Private, Sector, NGOs and the Academics.

The Day was celebrated on 15 October, but many activities were launched beforehand. For example, newscasters endorsed the need of washing hands before meal times were aired on the 7 pm news bulletin of the local Samaa TV (From Friday, 5th Sept to continue 15 October.) The Local coalition committed to reach more than 1 million children with handwashing activities in all four provinces of Pakistan.

Philippines

A multi media Handwashing campaign was launched on Global Handwashing Day to raise awareness among the population. Key activities included: a press conference on September 12 to announce the local coalition with a symbolic handprints activity and handwashing with kids, held at Museo Pambata (Museum for Children). Furthermore, handwashing was promoted through a road show with different stakeholders: schools, businesses and media, prior to the official launch of Global Handwashing Day on October 15 at Makati Park in the heart of the central business district. Over 100 school children were invited to participate in the event and kick off the advocacy of making handwashing with soap an important habit. Starting October 1, there was advocacy for handwashing through press and media articles, TV interviews, banners and posters on Metro Rail Transit (MRT). Simultaneous activities were held outside Manila in other regions.

Rwanda

The launch ceremony of Global Hand Washing Day took place in Burera District, located in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Previously, the area suffered from recurring poor hygiene related diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. The focus of the campaign was to make school children the main agents of change.

Also, a town hall meeting led by Ministry of Health, Education, Infrastructure, Commerce and the Local Government will be broadcast live on National TV and Radio on October 11, 2008. This three hour live program will attract the larger public participation to phone in and contribute with ideas and ask questions. Directors from the ministries and other key partners will be in the conference hall to provide answers. The event will be covered by the national and international media.

Sierra Leone

Global Handwashing Day launched on October 15 in Freetown and the district headquarters towns - invitation to children from schools and high level political representatives. The event included float parades by school children and NGO partners, drama skits and launch ceremonies culminating in a mass handwashing with soap event.

About 200,000 children and 500 mothers were reached throughout the country with the celebrations which generated a buzz around handwashing with soap and serve as the catalyst for initiating a nationwide handwashing with soap campaign in Sierra Leone. Holistic communication elements included: Posters, stickers and T-shirts with handwashing with soap messages.

Sri Lanka

Health Education Bureau organized a ‘train the trainer’ program for Food and Drug Inspectors, Health Education officers and Senior PHIs. On 15 October, 1,500 PHI visited 1,500 schools and reached 1 million school children and demonstrated how handwashing should be done. This activity helped to disseminate the message to a record number of school children. A poster and a flip chart were developed to demonstrate 9 steps of handwashing, based on surgical technique. These visual guides were displayed in places like hospitals, plantation sector clinics child development centers and health clinics. The promotional activities continued in the following week, during Sri Lanka’s Food Safety week from 20–26 October. TV advertorials as well as print advertorials also took place. A press conference was carried out to talk about the importance of handwashing and highlight the GHD activities.

Tajikistan

The Global Handwashing Day was launched by the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap (PPPHW) to draw attention to the benefits of handwashing while highlighting the state of handwashing in various countries around the world. Communities appreciated the simple, yet life-saving advice that can have a lasting, positive effect on the health of their children. “After trainings on personal hygiene our behavior has changed” said one of the participants afterward. “We learned the five rules of handwashing. We are washing our hands with soap and will ask others in our community to do the same.”

PHASE II launched its activities to improve the health and nutrition of primary school children. As a result, hundreds of secondary school students have been trained to pass on information to primary school children. USAID provides support to 80 schools with an enrollment of approximately 40,300 schoolchildren in the Khatlon region through its PHASE II program activities.

Timor Leste

Timor Leste celebrated Global Handwashing Day starting with a launching event in one of the primary schools in Dili on the 10th of October. Other activities were held in the following days, such as: panel discussion on handwashing in National TV, Community Radio talk program and GHD were celebrated in all districts through primary schools and include competitions, demonstrations, songs, materials etc.

Additionally promotional activities were undertaken at transition shelters and IDP camps.

UK

Global Handwashing Day partners in the UK produced a range of activities focused on raising public awareness and engaging school-aged children. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine released results of a study of contamination levels on commuters’ hands in five UK cities. The Health Protection Agency operated interactive handwashing promotion events in underprivileged areas of London. A poster competition gave children ages 6 – 11 the opportunity to think creatively about handwashing promotion for a unique prize trip to India to visit groundbreaking handwashing promotion programs. Activities with policymakers included a media event with several Members of Parliament at the Houses of Parliament, and an Early Day Motion for the Government to support hygiene promotion.

Zambia

Zambia celebrated its Sanitation Week in the week of 15 October 2008, as announced by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing. 13 television programs broadcast discussions on sanitation and hygiene issues. In the capital city, Lusaka, local authorities launched a campaign for hygiene promotion in public places - especially restaurants - to help curb cholera outbreaks. Handwashing practices in food preparation premises topped the agenda in this campaign.

See also

• Hand washing
• Hand washing with soap
• Public-private partnership

External links

• Official site for Global Handwashing Day
• World Bank Sanitation Program
• UNICEF
• Unilever
• P&G
• SCA
• Hygiene Central