OCT 15: Global Hand Washing Day!

**Martijn (admin)** on Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:26 am

Global Hand washing Day is celebrated around the world every year on October 15 to activate communities, households, schools, and workplaces to wash hands with soap to hold back life-threatening diseases.

In 2012, Global Hand - washing Day is entering its fifth year and the theme of this year is to "Help More Children Reach their 5th Birthday".

The campaign started in the year 2008 by the global public-private partnership for hand washing with soap led by the United Nations. The Day welcomed warmly by governments, international institutions, civil society organisations, NGOs, private companies and individuals around the globe. In 2008, more than 120 million children in 73 countries across five continents participated in the campaign.

In 2010, over 200 million people were involved in Global Hand washing Day celebrations and over 700,000 schools celebrated the day.

In 2011 UNICEF joined hundreds of millions of people across the globe in celebrating the 4th annual Global Hand washing Day, which emphasised the importance of hand washing with soap as an effective, simple, and affordable way to prevent disease.

A recent study suggested that families who wash their hands with soap have a 53 percent lower incidence of diarrhea among children younger than 15-year-old. Similarly, acute respiratory infections, including pneumonia, could decline by 25 percent with good hand hygiene.

More interesting info & articles are available at:
http://www.handresearch.com/news/hands-on-hand-hygiene.htm

PS. The short film 'It's in your hands' (see video above) is rather impressive - especially for those living in the Western World where clean water is available at every home.