Global Handwashing Day: Singer Mohit Chauhan agrees with PM Modi, urges safety from COVID

Bollywood singer Mohit Chauhan took to Twitter on Thursday to support PM Modi in spreading the message of safety on 'Global Handwashing Day'. He shared the tweet by 'Jal Jeevan Mission', a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti which aims to ensure access to piped water for every household in India, and urged his fans and followers to wash their hands with soap and water to ensure safety in the current times of COVID. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, on the occasion of 'National Handwashing day' on Thursday, written a letter to the Ministry of Jal Shakti with a message appealing all citizens to handwash with soap to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He reiterated that proper and regular ‘handwashing’ will help in preventing COVID-19 infection as well as many other diseases.

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Handwashing has become a basic need for survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, for many across the world, accessing soap and water at home to carry out a simple 20-seconds handwashing ritual a few times a day is still a luxury. According to the UNICEF and WHO Joint Monitoring Programme report 2019, published earlier this year, 40 percent of the world’s population, or 3 billion people, do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home.

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On 'Global Handwashing Day', talking about the crucial need to incorporate handwashing practices, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF India representative said in a press statement, “As the pandemic continues to spread, it is important to remember that hand washing is no longer just an individual choice, it is a societal imperative. It is one of the lowest costs and highly effective measures you can take to protect yourself and others against coronavirus and many other infections.”

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“As schools consider the new parameters for reopening, we need to make sure that they continue to prioritize access to handwashing with soap, clean drinking water, and safe sanitation for every child,” she added.

In India, in fact, access to handwashing facilities is a major cause of concern. The Joint Monitoring Programme (2019) estimated that only 60 percent of India's households have handwashing facilities with soap. In rural areas, the availability of these facilities is even lower. Worldwide, only 3 out of 5 individuals have basic handwashing facilities.

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