If the Ebola Virus Disease epidemic has caused Africans so much loss, it however did us one good by spreading the hand washing consciousness in the sub-African where the fear of the virus made both small and great embarked on regular hand hygiene all to prevent the disease.
The truth of the matter is that the Global Hand washing Day was instituted in October 15, 2008, by the UN General Assembly to drive home the importance of washing hands with soap and water, but this was not generally popularised in Nigeria and other African countries until the outbreak of EVD in 2014.
With the theme of this year’s campaign being: “Raise a Hand for Hygiene”, it is imperative for ALL to be part of the sanitation crusade. In fact, you don’t have to be involved in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector to celebrate Global Hand washing Day. Hand washing is important for everyone, everywhere, and we encourage you to tailor the ideas towards your daily individual and family life.
Below is 10 Real Reasons you must participate in Hand Washing Campaign
- Hand hygiene at the right times saves lives.
- Hand hygiene in health care has saved millions of lives in the last years.
- Hand hygiene is a quality indicator of safe healthcare systems.
- Health-care problems, like diarrheal, respiratory infections, intestinal worm, skin and eye infection which are often invisible but nevertheless still occur, can be prevented through regular hand washing.
- Infections can be stopped through good hand hygiene, and patient and health worker harm prevented for less than $10.
- Affordable life-saving technology is available! Alcohol-based handrub, which costs approximately $3 per bottle, can prevent HAI and millions of deaths every year.
- #Handhygiene exists in the media, which means it exists as an important topic, whether due to HAI or outbreaks of deadly diseases like Ebola.
- Embedding specific moments for hand hygiene action into health worker workflow makes it easier to do the right thing every minute, every hour, every day.
- Infection prevention is at the heart of strengthening health-care systems. Hand hygiene is core to all interventions, whether inserting an invasive device, managing a surgical wound, or giving an injection.
- The social epidemic has already begun to spread with SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands, a successful global campaign promoting hand hygiene action at the point of patient care.
