The Department of Health (DOH), together with the World Health Organization (WHO), led the observance of the 2024 Global Handwashing Day, which is held every 15th of October.
The theme for this year is “Why Are Clean Hands Important?” highlighting the crucial role of proper handwashing in preventing the spread of infectious disease and promoting public health.
The DOH included Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in its eight priority health outcomes. This aims to increase the percentage of the population using clean water from 88 percent to 100 percent.
In support of the WASH in Schools (WINS) program of the Department of Education (DepEd), the DOH provided technical and financial assistance to schools to meet healthy school standards.
This includes repairing restrooms and water facilities, installing hand washing reminders in restrooms, and conducting daily handwashing activities in schools.
The DOH also encouraged local leaders to invest in and prioritize hand hygiene facilities and supplies to achieve better sanitation and hygiene practices.
Moreover, the health agency is also involved in developing and improving the Global Guidelines for Hand Hygiene in Community Settings, an initiative led by WHO and UNICEF.
According to DOH, regular handwashing with soap and water is a simple yet effective way to prevent illness, especially in schools, hospitals, and homes.
Clean hands reduce the spread of diseases such as diarrhea, typhoid, cholera, and gastroenteritis by about 30 percent, and respiratory infections like colds, flu, COVID-19, and Tuberculosis (TB) by approximately 20 percent.
It also helps prevent the spread of Mpox, particularly when touching contaminated objects. Furthermore, handwashing contributes to preventing infections from salmonella and soil-transmitted parasites and worms.
“WHO Philippines encourages everyone to take hand hygiene seriously because this is essential for achieving universal health care (UHC)m” WHO Representative in the Philippines Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus said.
“By prioritizing infection prevention and control, especially through effective hand hygiene, we can significantly enhance quality of care and patient safety, ultimately ensuring better health for all,” he added.
