‘Clean hands for all’
Thousands of children celebrate Global Handwashing Day in Fijian schools
ON Tuesday, thousands of children in Fiji celebrate Global Handwashing Day with activities taking place in 420 primary and secondary schools across the country.
In Lautoka, about 500 students also gathered to participate in an oratory and handwashing competition on this year’s theme, “Clean Hands for All”.
Global Handwashing Day is celebrated around the world to increase awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with water and soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
Hands are the leading carriers of germs that cause diarrhoea, typhoid, conjunctivitis or respiratory infections like pneumonia. Handwashing at critical times, such as before a meal, feeding the baby and after using the toilet, stops the spread of disease-causing germs.
This year’s theme “Clean Hands for All” follows the push to leave no one behind in the Sustainable Development agenda. It is the first time in over a decade that handwashing activities will take place in communities and schools across Fiji.
Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete, highlighted that the theme reminds us that we must be inclusive in hygiene promotion.
“Everyone — girls, boys, persons with a disability, doctors, nurses, teachers, parents — must always wash their hands with water and soap.
“As part of our joint commitment to achieve universal coverage, the Government of Fiji, together with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), is working to ensure that all children and their families have access to adequate and equitable water, sanitation and hygiene by the year 2030.”
UNICEF Pacific representative, Sheldon Yett, said, “Handwashing with soap is a simple, but critical, way to ensure overall health and help children grow strong and lead a healthy life.
“We encourage all children to become advocates for handwashing with soap every day in schools, and at home.”
Consistent handwashing with soap reduces the incidence of diarrhoea by nearly half and respiratory infections by one-quarter among children under-five.
Highlighting the value of handwashing, WHO’s representative to the South Pacific, Dr Corinne Capuano, noted the significant impact that simple handwashing practices can provide.
“Good hygiene practices save lives, and proper handwashing is one of the easiest and most beneficial behaviours people can adopt.
“Washing your hands the right way and at the right times can protect against many harmful diseases. “The power to protect is literally in your hands.” The children in schools across the country, join millions more celebrating Global Handwashing Day around the world to lead the way to better health for all children through “Clean Hands for All”.
Handwashing with soap is a simple, but critical, way to ensure overall health and help children grow strong and lead a healthy life. ~ SHELDON YETT