Highlights
- Global Handwashing Day is marked on October 15
- This year, the day is being celebrated with the theme Hand Hygiene For All
- Washing hands at regular interval is key to good health: Sachin Tendulkar
New Delhi: To promote clean hands and instill the habit of washing hands with soap or alcohol-based sanitiser on Global Handwashing Day, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shared a short video clip explaining the benefits of following safe practices like handwashing. Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar said, “As we slowly move on from earlier COVID-19 restrictions & inch towards normalcy, we all need to adopt some safe practices like: Wash hands, Wear mask, Social Distancing. #GlobalHandwashingDay”
He also urged his fans to follow these preventive measures in the fight against coronavirus and inspire more and more people to follow these good habits. In a 1-minute long video, he further added,
I agree, we all need to move ahead and go about our daily lives, but at the same time, we all have to make some routine changes in our lifestyle, we have to bring in these good habits along, we have to make sure we are washing hands at regular interval with soap and water. If soap is not available, we should use sanitisers, but we have to keep our hands clean. If we maintain a good hand hygiene, we will live a healthy life.
Explaining the right technique of washing hands to evade germs, Sachin Tendulkar said –
Use soap for at 20 seconds, rub it both in the palms and fingers well and then wash it with water.

Sachin Tendulkar signed off with a message, “Let’s bring normal routine back by being safe.”
Also Read: Global Handwashing Day 2020: Handwashing Is Still A Challenge In India, Here’s Why
View Sachin Tendulkar’s Message
As we slowly move on from earlier COVID-19 restrictions & inch towards normalcy, we all need to adopt @TheSafeNormal practices like:
➡️Wash hands????
➡️Wear mask ????
➡️Social Distancing 6️⃣ft.↔️Let’s follow it & inspire others too!#GlobalHandwashingDay@PMOIndia @mybmc @UNICEF pic.twitter.com/aammZy31mK
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 15, 2020
This is not the first time the cricket megastar has shared a message on the importance of washing hands. Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar has also shared a video guide showcasing the right way to wash hands as a part of World Health Organization Safe Hand Challenge.
Apart from being vocal, Sachin Tendulkar has also come forward and donated Rs.50 lakh to help the Indian government in its battle against the coronavirus outbreak. Mr. Tendulkar has contributed Rs. 25 Lakh each to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for COVID-19.
हम सभी कोरोना वायरस (COVID-19) की वजह से चिंतित है।
इस वायरस को फैलने से रोकने के लिए जो एक आसान सी चीज़ हम कर सकते है वो है अपने हाथों को स्वच्छ रखना।
हाथों को 20 सेकंड तक साबुन के साथ धोना अनिवार्य है। हमेशा अपने हाथों को अच्छे से धोएं।#SafeHandsChallenge @UNICEF @WHO pic.twitter.com/63zE8OIvY3
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 17, 2020
Why Handwashing Is Important?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), inadequate availability of water, sanitation, and hygiene results in 8,27,000 deaths in low- and middle-income countries each year. WaterAid, an international non-governmental organisation, focused on water, sanitation and hygiene states that only 1 in 5 (19%) people globally wash their hands with soap after defecating. It further states that 443 million school days are lost every year because of water-related illnesses and lack of access to sanitation and poor hygiene contribute to approximately 88% of childhood deaths caused by diarrhoeal diseases.
In India, 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, as per UNICEF. It also states that handwashing with soap before eating, preparing meal and after using the toilet can reduce diarrhoea rates by more than 40 per cent. Still, handwashing is not a habit in Indian households. The last edition of the National Family Health Survey 4 (2015-16) highlighted that though all households in India (as high as 97%) have washbasins, but handwashing is only practised by richer and more educated households in urban areas. The survey revealed that only 2 out of 10 poor households use soap for washing hands.
Whereas, as per the survey done in 2019 by the National Statistical Organisation’s (NSO) mere 35 per cent Indian homes wash hands with soap, water before having meals. The survey covered 1,06,838 households in India (63,736 in rural areas and 43,102 in urban areas).
To overcome these challenges and make hand hygiene a part of everyone’s life, across the world, October 15 is marked as Global Handwashing Day. This year, the day falls at a time when the world is fighting COVID-19 pandemic. So this year the day is also being marked with the theme “Hand Hygiene for All” that aims to bring each and every section of society together to achieve universal hand hygiene, 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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