Every October 15 is observed as Global Handwashing Day. And like every year, the day serves as a platform for raising global awareness about the importance of hand-washing with soap. It is an international campaign to encourage and mobilise people around the world to improve hand washing. Washing the hands and soaping are also necessary at crucial points throughout the day.
Apparently, 40 percent of the world ‘s population has no access to basic facilities for hand washing. Hand washing has been one of the most effective ways in this year to protect against the new pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19), strengthening the message that hygiene of our hands is equally important in preventing and maintaining our health.
Hand washing with soap and water is not only easy and cheap, but the number of young children who get sick can also be significantly reduced. Teaching people about handwashing helps to stay healthy for them and their families.
Theme of Global Handwashing Day 2023
This year the theme of Global Handwashing Day 2023 is- Clean hands are within reach”
The time to advance hand hygiene is now, and it will take a team effort to bring about significant change, using the lessons learned from recent years. As the globe progresses beyond COVID-19 to our new normal, we must unite for universal hand hygiene.
In order to meet the hygiene targets outlined under Sustainable Development Goal No. 6, we must quadruple current rates of progress, according to the most recent WHO/UNICEF JMP Report.
Proper hand hygiene is frequently neglected, mostly due to the lack of access in key locations to proper hand hygiene. Access to a basic manual washing facility is suffering from a lack besides 3 billion of the world’s people.
In 2008, when more than 120 million children around the world washed their hands with soap in more than 70 countries, the first Global Handwashing Day was celebrated. Global Handwashing Day has been used by community and national leaders since 2008 to spread the word about handwashing, build sinks and tippy taps, and demonstrate the simplicity and value of clean hands. Global Handwashing Day has continued to grow since then. Governments, schools, international organizations, civil society groups, NGOs , private businesses, citizens, and more are supporting Global Handwashing Day.
Importance of Hand Wash in COVID-19
Washing our hands properly not only limit the spread of COVID-19, but it will also avoid many other viral diseases such as cold and flu. Handwashing also decreases the risk of other diseases that can quickly spread, such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS (respiratory syndrome in the Middle East).
Swikriti Dandotia
