Goans join world in observing Global Handwashing Day

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-10-16
MARGAO- The first-ever Global Handwashing Day was observed across the world on Wednesday with a call to improve hygiene practices as millions of people in more than 20 countries across five continents volunteered to wash their hands with soap.  The Handwashing Day attains significance as 2008 is being observed as the United Nation International Year of Sanitation.
Goa too participated in the Global Hand Washing Day with the main event being held at Kiran Niketan School grounds. The president of Lions Club of Zuarinagar, Dr Kuntal Takur was the chief guest while Dr Marian Godinho of primary health centre, Cortalim was the guest of honour. The state co-ordinator FXB India Suraksha (Goa branch), Ms Crescy Baptista was also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Thakur and Dr Godinho highlighted the importance of washing hands properly and added that many diseases can be eradicated if the hands are washed properly. Around 600 people including 500 children participated in hand washing programme.
The participants washed their hands by following the demonstrations done. The children were later given soap cakes along with some sweets. The participants also took an oath to follow better hand washing practices and spreading the message to others.
As part of Global Public Private Partnership for Hand washing with Soap, FXB India Suraksha in partnership with Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) and other like-minded organiations is going to observe GHD in project areas around India.
The agencies leading the Global Handwashing Day efforts include the Global PPPHW and include the Water and Sanitation Programme (of the World Bank, UNICEF, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USAID through the Hygiene Improvement Project.
The guiding vision of Global Handwashing Day is a local and global culture of hand washing with soap. Although people around the world wash their hands with water, very few wash their hands with soap at the critical occasions.
Speaking exclusively to ‘The Navhind Times,’ Ms Baptista said that hand washing with water alone is not enough and that hand washing with soap can prevent a lot of diseases that kill millions of children
every year. She said that critical moments of hand washing are after using the toilet and before handling food while adding that hand washing with soap is the single most cost effective health measure, adding that promoting hand washing with soap requires social marketing approaches that centre on the potential hand washer and his/her specific motivations.