Importance of Handwashing
11/29/2019
With Global Handwashing Day having just passed on October 15, now may be a good time to remind ourselves of how the simple act of washing our hands with soap and water can save lives. Dr Ignaz Semmelweis dropped the mortality rate in an obstetric unit in 1847 from 18% to 1% simply by instructing the student doctors to wash their hands. He couldn’t explain why it worked because pathogens hadn’t been discovered yet, but it did.
Global Handwash Day is a global advocacy day with the purpose of increasing global awareness and knowledge about how important it is to wash our hands with soap and water to prevent the spread of infection. This simple and affordable act prevents a great deal of disease and saves many lives.
The Day was started by the Global Handwashing Partnership in 2008. That year, more than 120 million children in over 70 countries across the globe participated by washing their hands with soap at various events.
Since then, community leaders have used the day to spread the word about the importance of handwashing and to build facilities for it. The day is endorsed by many governments, schools, NGOs and private companies.
Global Handwash Day is a global advocacy day with the purpose of increasing global awareness and knowledge about how important it is to wash our hands with soap and water to prevent the spread of infection. This simple and affordable act prevents a great deal of disease and saves many lives.
The Day was started by the Global Handwashing Partnership in 2008. That year, more than 120 million children in over 70 countries across the globe participated by washing their hands with soap at various events.
Since then, community leaders have used the day to spread the word about the importance of handwashing and to build facilities for it. The day is endorsed by many governments, schools, NGOs and private companies.