Global Handwashing Day 10/15/09
Posted on 12. Oct, 2009 by Margaret in Events
The driving theme for Global Handwashing day is children and schools, the main objectives of this global celebration are:
- Foster and support a global and local culture of handwashing with soap.
- Shine a spotlight on the state of handwashing in each country.
- Raise awareness about the benefits of handwashing with soap.
Although people around the world wash their hands with water, very few wash their hands with soap at the critical occasions. More handwashing with soap means lower rates of infectious disease: Clean Hands Save Lives!
Why focus on children?
Of the approximately 120 million children born in the developing world each year, half will live in households without access to improved sanitation, at grave risk to their survival and development. Poor hygiene and lack of access to sanitation together contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal diseases, accounting for 1.5 million diarrhea-related under-five deaths each year. Children suffer disproportionately from diarrheal and respiratory diseases and deaths. But research shows that children – the segment of society so often the most energetic, enthusiastic, and open to new ideas – can also be powerful agents of behavioral change.
