Global Handwashing Day 2021: History, theme, how to wash your hands properly

Global Handwashing Day is observed every year on 15 October to raise the awareness and importance of handwashing with soap and water. The theme for 2021 is, "Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together." The theme highlights collective and coordinated efforts for working towards hand hygiene globally. 

History of Global Handwashing Day

Global Handwashing Day was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership, with an aim to encourage people to wash their hands with soap. The first Global Handwashing Day was observed in 2008 when over 120 million children across the world washed their hands in more than 70 countries. Since then, Global Handwashing Day is observed every year. Global Handwashing Day is endorsed by governments, schools, international institutions, civil society organisations, NGOs, private companies, individuals.

WHO's guidelines to wash your hands properly:

1. Wet hands with water
2. Apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces
3. Rub hands palm to palm
4. Right palm over the left hand with interlaced fingers and vice versa. 
5. Palm to palm with fingers interlaced
6. Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked
7 Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa
8. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of the right hand in left palm and vice versa
9. Rinse hands with water
10. Dry hands thoroughly with a towel
11. Use a towel to turn off the tap

The World Health Organization has advised that people must wash their hands for at least 40 to 60 seconds using soap and water. The WHO has recommended that people should wash their hands to protect themselves from getting sick. In a tweet, the WHO said that people need to wash their hands after sneezing and coughing. People need to washing their hands when they take care of the sick. Furthermore, people must wash their hands before cooking, while cooking and after cooking the food. The WHO has advised that people need to wash their hands when their hands are dirty, before eating and after toilet use. Moreover, they should wash their hands after they take care of animals or they handle animal waste.

As the world has been battling against the COVID-19 pandemic, handwashing has become a basic need for survival. However, UNICEF has released new estimates that state that around 3 in 10 people do not have handwashing facilities at home, UNICEF said in the press release. Furthermore, UNICEF warned that in the least developed countries, over 6 in 10 people lack basic hand hygiene facilities at home. Moreover, 2 in 5 schools worldwide do not have basic hygiene services with water and soap. In addition, 1 in 3 healthcare facilities around the world has no hand hygiene facilities at points of care. 

Image: Unsplash