I was very interested to find out today that today is apparently Global Handwashing Day. I never knew that there was even such a thing, did you?
Global Handwashing Day is a global advocacy day devoted to heightening awareness and understanding regarding the importance of washing ones hands with soap and water as an effective and affordable way to prevent disease and save lives.
Every year millions if not billions of lives are lost due to unsanitary hygiene, which includes a lack of access to hygienic sanitation and water in certain areas, but also due to something as simple as not washing ones hands regularly using soap as well as water.
Global Handwashing Day was founded by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing, which is a “coalition that brings together the expertise, experience, ideas, resources, and reach of the public and private sectors around the world to promote handwashing with soap.â€
This day has been around since 2008, when over 120 million children in more than 70 countries around the world washed their hands with soap. Since 2008, the initiative has been spreading information about handwashing, building sinks and tippy taps, and demonstrating the simplicity and value of clean hands.
More than 200 million people in over 100 countries globally celebrate Global Handwashing Day every year, and the initiative is supported by civil society organisations, private companies, NGOs, governments, international institutions, and individuals from all walks of life.
The 2015 theme for Global Handwashing Day is “Raise a hand for hygiene†which is an action-oriented theme as the act of raising one’s hand is one of affiliation.
The celebration of Global Handwashing Day is also meant as a reminder to governments all over the world to ensure that everyone has access to adequate hygiene facilities in schools, healthcare facilities and in their own homes. The right to adequate hygiene, sanitation and water was declared a Human Right by the UN and this initiative is meant to ensure that this will happen.
So, Happy Global Handwashing Day!
Rent a water cooler or buy a water cooler from Living-Water Ltd. Get a free water cooler trial or free water needs assessment in London.
