On October 15th the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing (PPPHW) will organize the 5th anniversary of Global Handwashing Day. Each year, more than 200 million people from all over the world take part in the celebrations. The event was originally created for children and schools, but everybody is invited to promote handwashing with soap, since it is “the most effective & inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal & acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries.” Literally, this issue is on our hands, because hands serve as vectors that transfer disease-causing pathogens.

However, a lot of people don’t wash their hands with soap, even though it could reduce deaths from diarrhoea by about 50% if done before eating and after using the toilet. To achieve a more successful promotion of the practice of handwashing with soap, public and private sector partners have formed effective, large scale, and sustainable handwashing promotion programmes.

Global Handwashing Day has its focus on children, because they are most likely able to change behaviours. “Research shows that handwashing behaviour tends to stick once individuals and families have adopted the practice”.

globalhandwashing.org/



Link to the image:
www.flickr.com/photos/gtzecosan/31723356...et-72157625292828775

posted by Lydia

It's true: still washing hands with soap (and drying them afterwards!!) is the cheapest and most effective way of stopping the spread of pandemics.
Due to this fact the German Toilet Organization together with 4 schools from Berlin will celebrate this important day.
Everyone is invited to join us... we will meet at the 15th October at the Gendarmenmarkt at 11 am in Berlin.
We have TippyTaps and plenty of soap and bubbles



Pictures will follow soon...


cheers,
Karl

Around the world, over 200 million people were involved in celebrations in over 100 countries. Global Handwashing is endorsed by a wide array of governments, international institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies, and individuals.

Here a picture from our event in Berlin.




How celebrated your local community the Global Handwashing Day 2012? Please share with us...

Got to love the people at www.tippytap.org -

They also have an award winning video :

It is unfortunate that The Global Handwashing does note appear as a headline or as one of top page heading on any of our News Papers here in Uganda. The press should come on board as far as handwashing is concerned if we are change the public behavior.

Deo
Techical Director
CAGIEA

PHLUSH posted a blog about the poor hand washing habits of Americans www.phlush.org/2012/10/12/ready-for-revi...oap-the-diy-vaccine/ We Tweeted details of the BBC reporting on poor hand washing habits in the UK www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19834975, got a discussion going on Facebook, and RTed wonderful things received from everywhere, like the recent study from the LSHTM www.hygienecentral.org.uk/pdf/What%20can...%20world_Oct2012.pdf and this poster. twitpic.com/b4gbc8