The global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap (PPPHW) works to save children’s lives by promoting the awareness of this simple practice.
Global Handwashing Day was originally created for children and schools,but can be celebrated by anyone promoting handwashing with soap.
Each year on October 15, over 200 million people are involved in celebrations in over 100 countries around the world
Handwashing with soap is the most effective & inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal & acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries.
Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths.
2 MILLION+ Children Die Every Year
From diarrhea and acute respiratory infections who are under five.
These figures could be cut dramatically if handwashing with soap were widely practiced.
These deaths are preventable
Research shows that, if widely practiced, handwashing with soap could reduce diarrhea by almost fifty percent and respiratory infections by nearly twenty-five percent. (Fewtrell et al., 2005)
2012 marks the 5th anniversary of Global Handwashing Day! In addition to celebrating our 5th anniversary we want to celebrated the 5th birthday of millions of kids around the world this year. Handwashing with soap can help prevent diarrhea, pneumonia, and other disease that prevent many children from reaching their 5th birthday, which is why our theme this year is "Help More Children Reach Their 5th Birthday".
This Planner’s Guide (2nd edition) will help you plan and implement a successful Global Handwashing Day celebration!
The practice of handwashing with soap tops the international hygiene agenda on October 15, with the celebration of Global Handwashing Day. Since its inception in 2008, Global Handwashing Day has been echoing and reinforcing the call for improved hygiene practices worldwide.
One of our favorites! Watershed Management Group created this beautiful and powerful handwashing video that was a winner of the 5th annual YouTube Do Gooder non-profit video award. The video gives simple directions for building and using a tippy tap, a low-cost handwashing device.
Global Handwashing Day was originally created for children and schools, but can be celebrated by anyone promoting handwashing with soap. Each year, over 200 million people are involved in celebrations in over 100 countries around the world.