UN- Water, WHO, UNICEF and others have partnered to organize a virtual event that will involve presentations, panel discussion and videos on how the simple act of washing your hands can be immensely effective.
To those of you thinking that this celebration for hand washing day has been prompted by Covid-19, you are wrong. This day has been in place for several years but has seldom been paid any attention. It really is one of the simplest ways to prevent most viral infections because it destroys the outer membrane of the virus and therefore mitigates its ability to infect. Your hands by default touch multiple things in a day and when you don’t wash them with soap – every time you eat food with your hands or touch yourself; you are likely to be prone to diseases like cholera, Ebola, shigellosis, SARS and hepatitis E. What’s more is that you can also spread it to other around you especially if you’re playing with babies or children.
Therefore, this year’s theme is Hand Hygiene for All to encourage a culture of hand hygiene in the public and drive community action to actively exercise this regularly. Research has shown that keeping your hand clean can help reduce diarrhea and similar diseases by 30% to 48%. Authorities this year round are advocating for systemic change across the globe that translates to handwashing facilities, easy access to water for all and the availability of soaps and sanitizers. This is especially important in low-income countries where access to water is not easy for households and proper hand hygiene is not practiced diligently. The virtual event happening today is aimed to reiterate the urgency to adopt clean and hygienic living at home to stay safe and how measures need to be taken for households everywhere to be able to have this facility. It will start from 6:00 pm and go on till 7.30 pm and will involve experts from all over the world. Who will talk about solutions and show you a glimpse off the technology that the pandemic has triggered like handwashing station without touch to avoid cross contamination.
UAE alone is a testament to how positive results can be achieved through government policy and regulations that are supported by collective coordination. While the virus has not been definitively curbed, the first responders have been meticulous on containing the outbreak and community transmission. Today is simply a day to highlight strategies that have worked and the needs for communities and governments to adapt them immediately. So, are your hands squeaky clean?
You can register to join the virtual event here.
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