Established in 2001, Global Handwashing Day was originally created for children and schools. Each year on October 15th over 200 million people are involved in celebrations in over 100 countries around the world.
GHDResearch shows that children living in households exposed to hand washing promotion and soap had half the diarrhoea rates of children living in control neighbourhoods. Because hand washing can prevent the transmission of a variety of pathogens, it may be more effective than any single vaccine. Promoted on a wide enough scale, hand washing with soap can be thought of as a “do-it-yourself” vaccine.
Ingraining the habit of hand washing could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention. Hand washing with soap is the most effective & inexpensive way to prevent diarrhoea & acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths.
Join us in supporting Global Handwashing Day today.