Global Handwashing Day 2020: Date, Theme, Significance and History of The Observance of The Day That Is More Relevant Than Ever Amid COVID-19

Global Handwashing Day is observed on October 15, every year. Global Handwashing Day is an international handwashing promotion campaign to spread awareness among the people in our world to improve their handwashing habits. Handwashing Habits helps in reducing and preventing diseases. According to reports, about 25-50 percent of respiratory and intestinal diseases can be avoided by washing hands at regular intervals.

The whole world is going through a tough time with COVID-19 Pandemic. As per Johns Hopkins University, Global Covid-19 cases have surpassed 38 million and the death toll reaches 1,083,875, so there are some guidelines that we have to take care of, from which handwashing is one of them. Handwashing with soap is one of the effective measures which can help control the spread of COVID-19. Coronavirus Outbreak in India: Handwashing Dance Video of Kerala Police Goes Viral, Cops Spread Awareness As COVID-19 Cases Rise.

History of Global Handwashing Day

Global handwashing day was first organised on October 15, 2008. GHD date was decided by the UN General Assembly. The Global Handwashing Partnership formerly called "Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing" (PPPHW)). Global Handwashing Day continues to grow. It’s endorsed by schools, governments, international institutions, private companies, civil society organizations, and more. UNICEF 'Hand-Washing Dance' Video Goes Viral Amid Coronavirus Outbreak.

Theme

Global Handwashing Day 2020 Theme is “Hand Hygiene for All’. This year’s theme follows the recent global initiative calling on all of society to scale up hand hygiene, especially through handwashing with soap.

Last 5 Years' Global Handwashing day Themes

• 2019 - Clean Hands for All
• 2018 - Clean hands - a recipe for health
• 2017 - Our hands, our future
• 2016 - Make handwashing a habit
• 2015 - Raise a hand for hygiene

Steps to Wash Your Hands Properly

• Firstly, wet your hands with water and apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces.
• Then rub hands with palm to palm.
• Place right palm over left dorsum (back of the hand) with interlaced fingers and vice versa.
• Put palm to palm with fingers interlaced.

  Now Backs of fingers to opposing palms with finger interlaced.

• Rub left thumb holding the right palm and vice versa. Do the same forwards and backward with clasped fingers of the right hand in left and vice versa.
• Now, do not use your fingers to turn off the water, do it with the towel

Here Are The Video, How to Wash Hands in The Right Way:

Significance

Handwashing with soap helps prevent infections According to several studies, infected hands can cause 90 percent of diseases and to prevent them, one should wash hands on a regular basis. People often touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without any realizing it, that germs can get into the body and harm them and can make them sick. National Health Portal of India says that around 47 percent of diarrheal diseases can be prevented through handwashing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2020 07:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).