Highlights
- Global Handwashing Day is marked on October 15
- This year, the day is being celebrated with the theme Hand Hygiene For All
- Political Leaders urge people to wash hands with soap and fight COVID-19
New Delhi: According to UNICEF, Diarrhoea is the third leading cause of childhood mortality in India, and is responsible for 13 Per Cent of all deaths per year in children under 5 years of age. It is said, handwashing with soap before eating, preparing meal and after using the toilet can reduce diarrhoea rates by more than 40 per cent. Yet, handwashing is not a habit which is followed easily in our country. The last edition of the National Family Health Survey 4 (2015-16) highlighted the grim situation of handwashing, the survey revealed though all households in India (as high as 97%) have washbasins, but handwashing is practised by only richer and more educated households in urban areas. The survey highlighted that only 2 out of 10 poor households use soap for washing hands.
As the world marks Global Handwashing Day today (October 15) with the theme “Hand Hygiene for All”, political leaders from across the country took to social media to spread awareness about the day and why washing hands is they key to good health.
Also Read: Global Handwashing Day 2020: Handwashing Is Still A Challenge In India, Here’s Why
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared a video of a bright innovation made by a girl from Madhya Pradesh – a safe community handwashing station built using repurposed bottles, wooden logs and a bamboo stick, which is also being used at neighbouring villages in the state. Congratulating the girl for this innovation, he added,
Very Good Riya! This is a great DIY idea. This can be used extensively in rural areas. Keep it up! #GlobalHandwashingDay
Very Good Riya!
This is a great DIY idea. This can be used extensively in rural areas. Keep it up!#GlobalHandwashingDay https://t.co/TxmcObLqI5
— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) October 15, 2020
Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot also extended his support and highlighted how handwashing is the best preventive measure in the era of coronavirus, he said,
On #GlobalHandwashingDay, our effort should be to encourage and motivate people to improve their handwashing habits. It’s one of the best precautions against #COVID19. Hand washing with soap is important for disease prevention & it reduces risk of respiratory & intestinal diseases.
Also Read: 77% People Changed Their Handwashing Habits Due To COVID-19, Finds A Study By WaterAid India
On #GlobalHandwashingDay, our effort should be to encourage & motivate people to improve their handwashing habits. It's one of the best precautions against #COVID19. Hand washing with soap is important for disease prevention & it reduces risk of respiratory & intestinal diseases.
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) October 15, 2020
Chief Minister Of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath launched #HaathDhonaRokeyCorona (hand-washing will check the spread of corona) campaign in the state on the occasion of Global Handwashing Day. To highlight the importance of hand hygiene during COVID-19, thousands of people in the 75 districts of UP washed their hands simultaneously while maintaining social distancing norms and wearing masks to drive home the message on how to contain the spread of the virus and stay safe. CM Yogi Adityanath shared a series of tweets on his social media and said,
Control of this epidemic can be achieved by breaking the chain of corona infection. ‘Clean your hands’ is the easiest means of protection against corona. Come, today, let’s pledge to wash our hands at regular intervals to ensure victory over Corona on ‘Global Handwashing Day’. With the weapon of cleanliness and awareness, we have succeeded in getting rid of diseases like encephalitis. We have to adopt the same weapon to overcome the COVID-19 epidemic. Clean hands are the simplest and easiest method of protection against corona. Be Clean – Be Healthy. “Clean hands” is the path to freedom from many diseases. Touch the food, face and eyes with ‘clean hands’ only.
#HathDhonaRokeCorona
Also Read: Global Handwashing Day: Five Easy Ways To Promote Handwashing Habit In Children
कोरोना संक्रमण की श्रृंखला को तोड़ कर ही इस महामारी पर नियंत्रण पाया जा सकता है।
'स्वच्छ हाथ' कोरोना से बचाव का सबसे सहज माध्यम हैं।
आइए, आज 'Global Hand Washing Day' पर कोरोना पर विजय सुनिश्चित करने हेतु नियमित अंतराल पर अपने हाथों को धोने का प्रण लें।#HathDhonaRokeCorona pic.twitter.com/cOiX93F59V
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) October 15, 2020
कोविड-19 के महासमर में विजय हेतु आवश्यक मंत्र 'स्व-अनुशासन व स्वच्छता' को आपके "स्वच्छ हाथ" सुफलित करते हैं।
"स्वच्छ हाथ" अनेक रोगों से मुक्ति का पथ है।
'स्वच्छ हाथों' से ही भोजन, चेहरे-आंख आदि को स्पर्श करें।
आइए, हम समाज हित में #HathDhonaRokeCorona के अभियान को सफल बनाएं।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) October 15, 2020

Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister of Steel, Dharmendra Pradhan, who has recently donated plasma after recovering from COVID-19 also highlighted the importance of washing hands in coronavirus times and said,
Hand-washing has never been more crucial. As the world continues to fight the #Covid-19 pandemic, this #GlobalHandwashingDay, let us work towards making hand hygiene a global priority for a healthy today and a healthy future.
Hand-washing has never been more crucial. As the world continues to fight the #Covid-19 pandemic, this #GlobalHandwashingDay, let us work towards making hand hygiene a global priority for a healthy today and a healthy future. pic.twitter.com/KIx41ogalP
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) October 15, 2020
Urging citizens to come together and fight coronavirus and make washing hands a jan andolan, CEO,Niti Aayog Amitabh Kant said,
Handwashing is easy, doesn’t take much time and the results are fantastic! PM @narendramodi gave the nation a clarion to wear a mask, wash hands & follow social distancing. On #GlobalHandwashingDay, let’s strengthen our resolve & #Unite2FightCorona through a jan andolan.
Handwashing is easy, doesn't take much time and the results are fantastic!
PM @narendramodi gave the nation a clarion to wear a mask, wash hands & follow social distancing. On #GlobalHandwashingDay, let's strengthen our resolve & #Unite2FightCorona through a jan andolan. pic.twitter.com/OAHZOJkUrI
— Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) October 15, 2020
Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping (Independent Charge) and Chemicals & Fertilizers added,
Handwashing with soap is the best way to drive away viruses especially in the time of COVID19 Pandemic. Let’s join hands on #GlobalHandWashingDay and join PM @narendramodi’s Jan Andolan to #Unite2FightCorona & spread awareness for washing hands. #HandHygieneforAll
Handwashing with soap is the best way to drive away viruses especially in the time of COVID19 Pandemic.
Let’s join hands on #GlobalHandWashingDay and join PM @narendramodi's Jan Andolan to #Unite2FightCorona & spread awareness for washing hands.#HandHygieneforAll pic.twitter.com/VhrZnSdPtf
— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) October 15, 2020
About Global Handwashing Day
The Global Handwashing Day was initiated by the Global Handwashing Partnership (GHP) in August 2008, at the annual World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. Since then, October 15 is observed as Global Handwashing Day, every year.
This year, the day falls at a time when the world is fighting COVID-19 pandemic and it provides a stark reminder that one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of a virus or any disease is one of the simplest: hand hygiene, especially through handwashing with soap.
The day is celebrated with a theme and this year’s theme focuses on “Hand Hygiene for All” and calls for achieving universal hand hygiene to beat the virus and ensure better health outcomes beyond the pandemic.
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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