Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day with an aim to promote the importance of washing hands with soap. It was founded in 2008 by the Global Handwashing Partnership.
Global Handwashing Day highlights the importance of good hand hygiene – an issue that is particularly relevant today. The theme for this year is ‘Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together’.
Hand washing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhoeal diseases. These diseases account for one in nine child deaths worldwide, making diarrhoea the second leading cause of death among children under five (WHO).
Here at United Purpose, many of our programmes have components that promote good hand hygiene. We work in partnership with communities to educate people about the importance of washing hands with soap at key moments in the day.
In the face of COVID-19, we have worked hard to provide health care centres with basic sanitation supplies such as soap – such as Dzindevu clinic in Malawi.
In Nigeria, we have worked with well-known musician and artist Sunny Neji, to produce songs about the importance of handwashing.
“In Africa we love music and we tell stories in songs,” Sunny Neji told us in a 2017 interview. “It is a wonderful tool to create positive change. If you have a good hook in a song, it stays in your memory. Changing behaviour means simple, daily habits need to become routine. What better way is there to do that than through music?”
Find out more about our water, sanitation and hygiene work:
