In this year’s celebration of Global Handwashing Day, Safeguard Philippines partnered with Manila Water Foundation and Philippine General Hospital to promote awareness of the benefits of clean hands, especially in schools and hospitals.
Global Handwashing Day or GHD is celebrated every Oct. 15 by more than 200 million people in 100 countries. The event aims to promote a global culture of clean hands through hand washing with soap and water.
Studies have shown that hand washing can prevent one in three diarrhea-related illnesses and one in five respiratory infections such as cold and flu. Hand washing with soap is an effective way to prevent many infectious diseases and save lives.
This year’s theme, “Clean Hands For All” emphasizes the importance of finding a way that all people from all walks of life, in both urban and rural areas, have access to basic hand washing facilities with soap and water.
Schools and school teachers are among the most important partners of Safeguard Philippines through the years of GHD. Many schools, however, do not have sufficient hand washing facilities, according to the soap brand.
Months leading to this significant celebration of proper hygiene, Safeguard teamed up with Manila Water Foundation for the construction of five-faucet hand washing facilities and the provision of hygiene kits in more than 30 public schools in key cities nationwide, to benefit more than 100,000 public school students and teachers.
On Oct. 14, more than 100 Grade 4 students in Antipolo took part in a hand washing session to coincide with the inauguration of hygiene facilities which were built in 20 Antipolo schools.
Two thousand hygiene kits containing a towel and Safeguard hand soap were also distributed to the children.