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Soweto Learners Celebrate 2nd Global Handwashing Day

By Patti Quinton | 15 October 2009

Learners in Soweto joined millions of children, teachers and parents throughout the world today to mark Global Handwashing Day, under the slogan of Clean Hands Save Lives. Motivating children to become “effective communicators and agents of change”, UNICEF and the World Health Organization are encouraging children to play a central role in spreading the word instead of the germs.

South Africa is one of more than 80 countries worldwide that are involved in raising awareness to accelerate handwashing behaviour change. Global Handwashing Day 2009 encourages learners to take the important message of handwashing home and into their communities.

According to a WHO infectious diseases report, diarrhoeal diseases claim nearly two million lives a year among children under the age of five. Diarrhoea is the second biggest killer after pneumonia. However, this figure can be reduced by nearly half just by handwashing with soap. Hands are the principal carriers of potentially life-threatening germs, causing diarrhoea, pneumonia, cholera and dysentery. But the simple hygiene habit of washing hands with soap helps to stop the spread of germs.

Ethne Whitley, spokesperson for Lifebuoy says the brand has made championing health and hygiene through the promotion of handwashing with soap an integral part of its strategy. “International research has proved that proper handwashing with soap reduces the risk of contamination.”

Whitley adds: “As one of the founding partners of the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing, Unilever, through its Lifebuoy brand, will once again employ its expertise in changing consumer behaviour to ensure that Global Handwashing Day drives behaviour change to make handwashing with soap a life-saving habit.

“On 15 October Lifebuoy will make sure that hundreds of children at Boipakitso Primary School learn the importance of a simple 20-second hygiene practice – handwashing with soap before eating and after going to the toilet. It takes just 20 seconds. And we’ll encourage the children to become ambassadors for change by taking the message home with them. Together our small actions can create a happier, healthier future for children.”

Info Box: How to wash hands properly

An effective hand wash should take 20 seconds, which is the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. Technique is also very important. ‘Splash and dash’ flat surface washing merely feeds the germs and helps them to multiply.
To wash properly: wet your hands with water, add soap and cover the hands completely with the soapy water. Rub hands palm to palm, rub palms over the outside of the hands, and make sure to get in between the fingers.

Rinse thoroughly with clean water. Soap and running water are a critical part of the germ removal process.

Drying hands completely using a clean, dry towel (preferably a disposable paper towel) is also important as up to 40 per cent of germ removal can occur in the drying process.  Wet towels can harbour billions of pathogens.

Ends

Issued by Patti Quinton, tel: 011-465-5225 or 083 263 6281

Pquinton@calibro.co.za

On behalf of Lifebuoy

15 October 2009