It was founded by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing in 2008. One of the SDG targets is to achieve “access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene” by 2030.
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As the world marks the 2015 Global Hand washing Day, people have been urged to increase the chances of longevity by maintaining good hand and general hygiene through constant hand washing.
Dettol Bangladesh has organised its “Give Life a Hand” campaign today to celebrate The Global Hand Washing Day and help combat preventable deaths from diarrhoea and save children’s lives through raising awareness about the importance of hand washing with soap and driving better hygiene habits. A recent survey conducted by the social work department students of Madras Christian College, Chennai, in colloboration with an NGO called Seesha, found that 70 per cent of the children of the area do not wash their hands regularly.
While addressing the audience of the event, Dr Ejaz Ahmed Khan said that handwashing with soap is one of the cheapest, most effective vaccine against viral diseases, from the seasonal flu to the common cold.
Sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest child mortality rates globally, has particularly low levels of handwashing. According to the latest estimates of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP), 32 per cent of the world’s population – 2.4 billion people – lack good hygiene practices and this kills and sickens thousands of people every day. Infants in the first month of life are particularly vulnerable to diseases transmitted by unwashed hands.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: A national drawing competition on handwashing in schools will reach 300,000 students in 1,500 schools; and messages will reach 3,000,000 people in 5,500 villages. And remember that hand sanitizers aren’t as effective when hands are visible dirty or greasy. She said that doctors are required to wash their hands before touching patients, when handling open wounds and after touching patients. Students will design posters and banners, and promote handwashing in marches, song, dancing, drama, speech, poems and art.
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Chaturvedi added that washing hands before, during and after cooking in the kitchen is essential for the individual’s safety and their surroundings.
