15 October is Global Handwashing Day, an annual campaign celebrated globally to raise awareness on the importance of washing hands with soap and also motivate good personal hygiene practices as it is a key approach to disease prevention.
This year’s Global Handwashing Day is themed “Clean Hands for All”- to focus on the links between handwashing and food including food hygiene and nutrition. With the provision and continuous improvement in hygiene facilities, we can thrive and work towards a healthy community and future.
Conversely, poor hand hygiene can lead to the spread of common illnesses such as flu, cold, stomach issues, and headaches. Besides direct contamination, illnesses can be spread through cross contamination resulting in severe epidemic or even pandemic outbreaks including Hepatitis A and E, Influenza and typhoid fever that could be fatal.