'A handwashing day? This world is full of surprises!’ said one Burkina Faso elder when he heard about the Global Handwashing Day (GHWD) celebrations in his country.

In over 70 countries around the world on 15 October 2008, thousands of people in schools, public places and at official events washed their hands with soap in order to raise awareness of this life-saving practice that can cut child diarrhoeal deaths by over 40 percent.

The elder’s reaction was not perhaps surprising. According to a survey conducted in eight districts in Burkina Faso, fewer than 10% of people wash their hands with soap before eating and after going to the toilet. In east-central Burkina Faso, GHWD celebrations drew regional and national authorities who pushed the handwashing message.

In Ethiopia, a key target audience was school children. The Ethiopian GHWD celebrations resulted from collaboration between UNICEF, the Ethiopian WASH Movement and private sector partners. Publicity materials and radio and video public announcements were produced with input from the Speak Africa Youth Initiative, which gives children a voice to promote sanitation and hygiene practices.

In Madagascar, Health, National Education and Water ministers lined up to wash their hands with soap at the Antanimena public school, encouraging around 13,000 children participating in celebrations nationwide to adopt this effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhoeal disease and pneumonia.

Handwashing in action at the Antanimena public school. Photo: Diorano, WASH Madagascar

GHWD is an initiative of the Public Private Partnership for Handwashing.

For more information on GHWD celebrations in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Madagascar contact WSSCC National Coordinators for these three countries: Mr. Yéréfollo Malle, malle@fasonet.bf; Mr. Michael Negash, mchlgeh@yahoo.com; and Mr. Jean Herivelo Rakotondrainibe, herivelo2@blueline.mg.

Tags: advocacy, africa, hygiene promotion