Global Handwashing Day has been celebrated annually on October 15th since 2008, as an opportunity to increase awareness and highlight the importance of handwashing with soap and clean running water at home, in the community and around the world. Handwashing with soap and “running” water is an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
The theme for Global Hand Washing Day 2021 is “Our Future is at Hand—Let’s Move Forward Together.” This theme calls for coordinated action as we actively work toward universal hand hygiene. It is an important reminder that we must include everyone when addressing handwashing irregularities. Inequalities in handwashing facilities and effective handwashing promotion programs, can put individuals at higher risk for diseases that impact their health, education, and economic outcomes. The World Health Organization and CDC have responded to the global outbreak and community transmission of COVID-19 by instructing the public to wash their hands more regularly to reduce the spread of the virus. Handwashing is the first line of defense against COVID-19. However, in some countries, a lack of access to safe water continues to be a major issue.
Global Handwashing Day is endorsed by governments, schools, international institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies, individuals, and more. This year, the Ministry of Health and Human Services team will visit the Eliza Simons, Faith Preparatory, and the Ona Glinton Primary schools in Grand Turk, to demonstrate proper hand hygiene technique. Subsequent demonstrations will be conducted throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands. This helps prevent infections because:
- People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth and make us sick e.g. COVID-19 disease.
- Germs from unwashed hands can get into food and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick.
- Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects, like handrails, table tops, or toys, and then transferred to another person’s hands.
- Removing germs through handwashing therefore helps prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections and may even help prevent skin and eye infections.
To help beat the COVID-19 virus and ensure better health outcomes beyond the pandemic, handwashing with soap and water must be a priority now and in the future. It is important to make handwashing into a habit.
As a reminder, we are currently in the flu season. Let us make every effort to encourage healthy behaviors such as: washing our hands after coughing, blowing our nose and before serving or handling food or eating and after using the toilet.
