Global Handwashing Day: Activities, History and FAQs
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Global Handwashing Day: General Knowledge
Global Handwashing Day (GHD) is an international campaign celebrated on 15th October every year. It was initiated by the Global Handwashing Partnership, a coalition that promotes the habit of handwashing around the world. Global Handwashing Day is about highlighting the importance of handwashing and encouraging communities to make it a habit.
Global Handwashing Day can be the right occasion to talk about these and more benefits of handwashing. Learn more about the theme of GHD, its history, and its significance here.
Global Handwashing Day
Global Handwashing Day is a day on which the need and importance of handwashing are amplified among people around the world. Hands can be the pathway to many different types of diseases, flu, and virals. Washing hands before eating a meal, after sneezing, and after using a toilet can prevent us from these diseases.
Many people and communities around the world still neglect the practice of handwashing, while others have no access to soap and water. Therefore, Global Handwashing Day is a campaign that aims to promote awareness about hand washing and make the resources for hand washing accessible to all. Find more about this day here:
Aim of Global Handwashing Day
There are still millions of people in the world who lack access to soap and water. Needless to say, such areas are affected worse by respiratory, intestinal, and gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of Global Handwashing Day is to appeal to global communities and individuals to practice hand hygiene to safeguard their own health.
On Global Handwashing Day, several NGOs and organizations also reach out to communities that lack access to handwashing resources such as soap and water and provide them with the same. Handwashing Day is an attempt to help people realize the power of hand hygiene and cleanliness in improving the quality of health.
Global Handwashing Day Activities
Over 200 million people celebrate Global Handwashing Day every year. As it is a global campaign, Handwashing Day is celebrated in many different ways around the world. Here are some activities that are observed on this day:
- People and NGOs reach out to underprivileged communities that lack access to clean water and soap to provide them with these resources and educate them about the importance of hand washing.
- Schoolchildren are encouraged to wash their hands before and after eating, after using the toilet, and after coughing or sneezing.
- World leaders and policymakers are encouraged to put thought into the campaign and make resources for a sanitary lifestyle available to all.
- Many NGOs organize donation campaigns on this day to help the needy and underprivileged.
History of Handwashing Day
The date of Global Handwashing Day was officially appointed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during the annual World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, in August 2008. The year 2008 was also observed as the International Year of Sanitation. Therefore, a great deal of emphasis on sanitary practices, including handwashing, was also laid.
Global Handwashing Partnership, a coalition that works towards promoting hand hygiene habits worldwide suggested 15th October to be celebrated as Global Handwashing Week. Then, it was officiated by the UNGA. The founding organizations of the campaign included the following:
- UNICEF
- Unilever
- Procter & Gamble
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Bank Water & Sanitation Program
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Q. What is Global Handwashing Day?
Global Handwashing Day is an international campaign initiated by the Global Handwashing Partnership to promote the habit of handwashing. Global Handwashing Day is celebrated every year on 15th October with the aim of spreading awareness about the benefits of handwashing.
Q. When is Global Handwashing Day celebrated?
Global Handwashing Day is celebrated on 15th October annually. This day was founded by the Global Health Partnership, and the date for this day was officiated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008. Since then, this day has been celebrated on 15th October every year.
Q. What are the activities conducted on Global Handwashing Day?
Global Handwashing Day activities include reaching out to communities and making hand hygiene related resources available to them, donating to NGOs who support such communities and educating people around us to practice hand hygiene properly.
Q. When did we start celebrating Global Handwashing Day?
Global Handwashing Day was first celebrated in 2008 after the Global Handwashing Partnership announced the establishment of the day at World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. Since then, Handwashing Day has been celebrated on 15th October each year.