UNICEF, Procter & Gamble (P&G) through Safeguard
and partners aim to imprint the importance of handwashing with soap in the
Philippines as they collect one million handprints from school children all over the country at the 2nd Global
Handwashing Day event.
Aimed
at increasing awareness on the importance of handwashing with soap as an
effective and affordable way to prevent disease, the event at the Maximo Estrella
Elementary School (Makati City) on October 15, 2009 kick-started the campaign as 1,400 students learned the right
way to wash their hands and left their prints on the Global Handwashing Day
wall. The program was hosted by Tonipet Gaba of Art Angel (GMA-7) and Tara, Let's Eat! (QTV-11).
Building on the hugely
successful inaugural Global Handwashing Day in 2008 - wherein over 120 million
children around the world washed their hands with soap in more than 70
countries, last year it was anticipated that millions of children across five
continents marked Global Handwashing Day and lather up again in order to reduce
life-threatening diseases, such as diarrhea, acute respiratory infections and
AH1N1.
Children suffer
disproportionately from diarrheal diseases – with more than 3.5 million
children under five dying every year from diarrhea and pneumonia-related
diseases. In the Philippines pneumonia is the 3rd leading cause of
deaths among children under five, estimated at more than 10,000 children.
Meanwhile, 10,000 die every year from diarrhea and the Department of Health
(DOH) cited it as amongst the leading causes of death with a rate of 16 deaths
per 100,000 children.
The simple act of
washing hands with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrheal rates among children
under five by almost 50 per cent, and respiratory infections by nearly 25
percent.
“Young children are often
the most vulnerable to the risks posed by poor hygiene as they put their hands
into their mouths and are easily infected with bacteria and worms, which
deplete the body’s nutrients. Yet the simple habit of washing their hands with
soap and water at key moments in the day can prevent them from getting sick
with potentially deadly diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia,” said Vanessa
Tobin, UNICEF Country Representative.
“By washing their hands
with soap and water, they remove bacteria and viruses, preventing infection. Handwashing with
soap also interrupts the transmission of disease by stopping dirt, bacteria and
viruses from getting onto food or into the mouth.”
Global
Handwashing Day also emphasizes the importance of using soap in handwashing. Around
the world, the observed rates of handwashing with soap at critical moments
range from zero to 34 percent yet rinsing with water is not enough; soap is
needed as it breaks down disease-causing bacteria. Experts recommend that hands
be washed with soap at critical moments: after using the toilet, cleaning a
child’s bottom and before preparing or eating food.
In the Philippines,
UNICEF has partnered with Safeguard, the Department of Health and the
Department of Education to make last year’s Global Handwashing Day bigger and
better. Under the slogan “Clean Hands Save Lives”, the driving theme for Global
Handwashing Day is children and schools.
“Safeguard has always
been the champion of the Filipino family in promoting good health and hygiene.
Last year’s ’Laging Handa’ handwashing education program was able to teach
proper handwashing to 800,000 children. This year we are starting our ‘Fit for
School’ program in partnership with the Department of Education and our goal is
to educate 3 million Grade 1 children on
the important habit of frequent hand-washing,” said Maimai Madrid-Punzalan,
Country Marketing Manager for Safeguard.
The Fit For School program includes
daily school-wide hand-washing activities at key intervals during the day –
whereby the entire class will wash hands at the same time. It also
integrates health education in the classroom through teacher guides, posters
and story books.
HANDWASHING PLEDGE
Ako’y nangangako
Na maghuhugas ng kamay
Gamit ang sabot at tubig
Para sakit ay bye-bye!
Ngayong Global Handwashing Day
At sa araw-araw:
Tuturuan ko ang aking kapatid at kamag-aral,
Na bago kumain,
Pagkatapos magbanyo,
At tuwing hahawak ng madumi
Kamay ay huhugasan
At sasabuning maigi.
Malilinis na kamay na magandang tignan
Tubig at sabon lang ang ating kailangan!
Ikaw at ako at malilinis na kamay
Para sa ligtas na pamumuhay!
Global Handwashing day
2009
Philippines
KEY MESSAGES FOR GHD
- Handwashing with soap is the most effective and
inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and pneumonia. Handwashing can reduce
the incidence of diarrhea by almost half (44%). It can also help prevent
flu.
- Handwashing with soap can help save lives of
millions of children. Every year, diarrhea and pneumonia kill more than
3.5 million children under five years. In the Philippines, 10,000 die
every year from diarrhea.
- Hands should always be washed after using the
toilet and before eating.
- Rinsing with water is not enough. Using soap
breaks down disease-causing bacteria and leaves hands smelling good.
Key
facts:
GLOBAL
·
Diarrheal infections
are the second most common cause of death in children under five. Every year,
more than 3.5 million children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday
because of diarrhea and pneumonia. (UNICEF State of the World’s children, 2008)
·
Acute respiratory
infections like pneumonia are the leading cause of child deaths (Global
Handwashing Manual).
LOCAL
FACTS FOR THE PHILIPPINES
- Diarrhea is the 4th
leading cause of deaths among children less than 5 years and the 3rd
leading cause of child illness. It is estimated to cause 12% or almost
10,000 deaths a year (Making Child Survival Work in the Philippines,
DOH/WHO/UNICEF, 2007).
- Between 10 and 20%,
or about 1.5 million cases of children under five have diarrhea at any one
time. Prevalence of diarrhea is recorded highest at 20% in the Cordillera
region, many cases in densed regions like NCR, followed by CALABARZON,
Central Luzon and Central Visayas. (Making Child Survival Work in the
Philippines, DOH/WHO/UNICEF, 2007. Figures based on National Demographic
and Health Survey measuring cases over two weeks prior to the survey).
- Pneumonia is the 3rd
leading cause of deaths among children under five, estimated at more than
10,000 children (Making Child Survival Work in the Philippines,
DOH/WHO/UNICEF 2007).
- About 10% of children
below 5 years had symptoms of Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) – cough
accompanied by short, rapid breathing in the 2 weeks preceding the survey.
This translates to about 1 million new episodes or cases in children
(NDHS, 2003).
- 70% of preschool children are host to at least
one type of intestinal helminthes infection and 7 out of 10 children (aged
3-12) suffer from intestinal worms (STH Survey, 2004).
Handwashing Facts
· Handwashing with soap can reduce the incidence of
diarrhea by 44% (Fewtrell et al., 2005). It reduces acute respiratory infection
rate by about 25% (WELL Fact Sheet). Handwashing can also prevent skin and eye
infections, intestinal worms, and flu (Global Handwashing Manual).
· Young children are most vulnerable to the risks posed
by poor hygiene. Children often put their hands into their mouths. Children are
easily infected with bacteria and worms, which deplete the body’s nutrients
(Facts for Life, 2002).
· Handwashing with soap can save the lives of millions
of children worldwide. Better sanitation alone (provision of toilet facilities
and clean water) could reduce diarrhea-related diseases by more than a third;
improved sanitation combined with better hygiene behaviors (handwashing,
bathing) could reduce it by two thirds. (Fewtrell et al., 2005)
· Handwashing with soap and water is the simplest, most
cost-effective way of improving sanitation and hygiene (Facts for Life, 2002).
A $3.35 investment in handwashing brings the same health benefits as an $11.00
investment in latrine construction, a $200.00 investment in household water
supply and an investment of thousands of dollars in immunization (Jamison et
al., 2006).
· Unfortunately, many children do not wash their hands.
This is due to:
- Lack of access to water and basic sanitation
facilities.
- Poor hygienic practices, customs and traditions
- “Common practice” – handed-down practice from
parents
· Around the world, the observed rates of handwashing with
soap at critical moments range from zero to 34 percent (Global Handwashing
Manual).
· Hands should be washed with soap at critical moments:
after using the toilet, cleaning a child’s bottom and before preparing or
eating food (Global Handwashing Manual).
· Washing hands with soap and water removes bacteria,
viruses and prevents infection with parasites and worms. Washing hands interrupts
the transmission of disease by stopping dirt, bacteria and viruses from getting
onto food or into the mouth (Global Handwashing Manual).
· It can also help prevent skin infections, eye
infections, SARS, Avian flu, A(H1N1) flu and benefits the health of people
living with HIV and AIDS.
· Rinsing with water is not enough – both hands need to
be rubbed with any brand of soap. Using soap adds to the time spent washing and
breaks down the bacteria through the rubbing and friction that dislodge them. (Global
Handwashing Manual).
