Global Handwashing Day: A Call to Action for Clean Hands
Every year, on the 15th of October, the Global Handwashing Day is celebrated all over the world. It is a day to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene and encourage people to make it a habit to wash their hands.
It’s also a global advocacy day dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of hand hygiene and creating lasting change from policy level to community action.
Why are clean hands important?
Clean hands are a fundamental defence against the spread of infection, disease and harmful germs. Whether in hospitals, schools or everyday interactions, handwashing with soap contributes to better health outcomes and a safer world for everyone. It is one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent disease and save lives. Despite its simplicity, many people still do not practice proper hand hygiene, leading to the spread of disease.
The Impact of Hand Hygiene
Studies show that hand hygiene, either soap or alcohol rub, reduces transmission of many diseases:
- Handwashing with soap can reduce the risk of acute respiratory infections by up to 20%.
- Good hand hygiene helps prevent healthcare-associated infections and reduces the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
- Handwashing with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea by 30%
- It is critical in minimising the transmission of pathogens responsible for outbreaks such as COVID-19 and monkeypox.
As well as reducing disease, good hand hygiene is associated with improvements in wellbeing, dignity and productivity.
Hand Hygiene and Sustainable Development Goals
The importance of hand hygiene is recognised in the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Several SDGs, including those related to water and sanitation, nutrition, education, health and economic growth, can be more easily achieved by addressing factors that contribute to high levels of hand hygiene practice. Integrating hand hygiene into health, education, nutrition and child health programmes is essential not only to achieving these goals, but also to preventing infections and improving overall health and development outcomes.
Christeyns offers a comprehensive range of products and solutions that go beyond hand hygiene to cover all of your hygiene needs. From surface disinfectants to laundry detergents and industrial cleaning products, Christeyns is committed to providing effective and sustainable hygiene solutions for a variety of sectors, thus ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment for all. Contact us today
Sources:
- Aiello, A. E., & Larson, E. L. (2002). What is the evidence for a causal link between hygiene and infections?. The Lancet infectious diseases, 2(2), 103-110.
- Global Handwashing: https://globalhandwashing.org/global-handwashing-day/
- SDG´s: https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/hand-hygiene-all-initiative
- Teshale, E. H., Grytdal, S. P., Howard, C., Barry, V., Kamili, S., Drobeniuc, J., … & Holmberg, S. D. (2010). Evidence of person-to-person transmission of hepatitis E virus during a large outbreak in Northern Uganda. Clinical infectious diseases, 50(7), 1006-1010.
- WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/mpox
