Global Handwashing Day 15 October 2024 - Theme, Importance & History

Global Handwashing Day is a global healthcare event celebrated on the 15th of October every year to create awareness and understanding about the need for handwashing with soap as a simple, effective, and affordable way to avoid diseases.

On this day, various local, national, and international organisations join together and conduct several awareness campaigns (for the local public), workshops, educational programs and demonstrations to create awareness about the importance of handwashing with soap and water. 

Importance of Global Handwashing Day

Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most efficient and low-cost methods of preventing infections such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. Handwashing with soap is one of the most influential and inexpensive strategies to prevent these infections. By reducing acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea by half and one-fourth, respectively, this simple procedure has the potential to save lives.

Many germs that can make people sick are disseminated when one does not wash their hands with soap and clean, flowing water. That is why handwashing is so important, especially after using the restroom, preparing food, before eating, and coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.

The numerous advantages of handwashing may only be realized if the practice is carried out properly with soap and clean water. Alternatives to soap, such as soil or ash, can be used in areas where soap is not accessible. However, it is uncommon for people to take handwashing seriously and adhere to all the guidelines for a clean, bacteria-free hand.

Handwashing with soap and water is easy and inexpensive, and it can help to minimise the incidence of sickness in young children. According to research, community handwashing education can provide the following benefits:

• Reducing around 23%–40% in the number of patients who become ill with diarrhoea.
• Reducing 29%-57% in the number of missed school days by children due to gastrointestinal illness.
• Reducing 58% of diarrheal sickness in patients with compromised immune systems.
• Reducing around 16%-21% of respiratory infections such as colds in the general population.
• The primary causes of death in children under the age of five are pneumonia and diarrhoea, so Global Handwashing Day is a platform to design and implement unique strategies to urge people to wash their hands with soap, especially during necessary times.

Global Handwashing Day 2024 theme

This year, 2024, the Global Handwashing Day theme is “Why are clean hands still important?”. This theme highlights the importance of clean hands in preventing outbreaks and pandemics, particularly in areas with limited access to healthcare. The day promotes handwashing, which helps improve overall health outcomes and reduce unnecessary deaths, especially in vulnerable populations, including children under five. 

Year by year, the themes for Global Handwashing Day are:

• Global Handwashing Day 2023 Theme: Clean hands are within reach
• Global Handwashing Day 2022 Theme: Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene
• Global Handwashing Day 2021 Theme: Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together
• Global Handwashing Day 2020 Theme: Hand Hygiene for All
• Global Handwashing Day 2019 Theme: Clean hands for all
• Global Handwashing Day 2018 Theme: Clean Hands – a Recipe for Health

History of Global Handwashing Day 

In 2008, The Global Handwashing Partnership established Global Handwashing Day as a chance to invent, test, and replicate innovative approaches to urge people to wash their hands with soap at key times. It's a global advocacy day that promotes the necessity of making handwashing a regular habit for people all over the world's health.

Tips for healthy hands

Washing hands is simple, and it's one of the most efficient methods to keep germs at bay. The following are the tips to be followed for having a healthy hand: 

• Washing hands thoroughly before handling food to prevent contamination
• Proper handwashing after using the restroom
• Washing hands before and after eating
• Washing hands after coughing or sneezing
• Scrubbing Hands for 20 Seconds (minimum)

Know more about health awareness days