15 October - The world's children wash their hands on the first ever Global Handwashing Day

 

The first ever Global Handwashing Day was celebrated in over 70 countries across five continents in an effort to mobilise and motivate millions around the world to wash their hands with soap.

Handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrheal disease and pneumonia, which together are responsible for approximately 3.5 million child deaths every year.

By washing hands with soap, families and communities can help reduce child morbidity rates from diarrheal diseases by almost 50%.

The inaugural Global Handwashing Day focused on children in schools. After learning about improved sanitation behaviour in schools, children can act as agents of change by taking these messages home to their families and communities. From Afghanistan to Peru, children, school teachers, and parents joined celebrities, government officials, members of civil society and the private sector to raise awareness about handwashing with soap.

Global Handwashing Day is an initiative of the Public Private Partnership for Handwashing (PPPHW), which is spearheaded by UNICEF, USAID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Bank, Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP), Unilever and Procter and Gamble.

To learn more about the Global Handwashing Day visit www.globalhandwashingday.org.

To read about the events that took place around the world or watch videos visit:

• One million Ethiopian children take part in Global Handwashing Day - Afrique en ligne
• Kids wash hands across Asia - bdnews24.com
• Millions mark UN Handwashing Day - BBCnews
• Global Handwashing Day videos featuring Nelson Mandela, the Wiggles, cricket star Sachin Tendulkar and others - Sanitation Updates