As the world marks Global Handwashing Day, tomorrow 15 October 2018, the City’s Health Department reminds members of the public about the importance of handwashing for their own safety and for the safety of those around them.

Handwashing with soap is proven to be one of the most effective ways of reducing the spread of germs and disease.

In South Africa, along with the rest of the developing world, effective handwashing can mean the difference between life or death, particularly for young children who are most at risk of contracting diarrhoea with potentially fatal consequences.

The theme for Global Handwashing Day this year is ‘Clean hands – a recipe for health’. It focuses on the link between handwashing and food, with the former being an important part of keeping food safe, preventing diseases and helping children to grow strong.

‘We’re heading into our warmer season, which generally coincides with an increase in food- and waterborne diseases. Diarrhoea is probably the most common of these. Germs thrive in warmer temperatures, which means they spread more easily and that’s why clean hands and good overall hygiene are so important.

‘These are lessons that have to be ingrained from a young age, which is why so many of our outreach interventions happen at pre- and primary school level. That said, it is important that adults get the message too because they need to lead by example and of course, they tend to be the ones who prepare food,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

Apart from ongoing awareness and education around handwashing, the City’s environmental health practitioners also continue to promote the use of the squeeze bottle and the tippy tap. Both methods make use of a two-litre cold drink bottle and a straw or small pipe to ensure effective hand hygiene irrespective of water availability.

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‘The tippy tap and squeeze bottles are ways of ensuring clean hands and are fit for purpose in any household, especially considering how we’ve all had to re-evaluate our relationship with water in the wake of the drought. It is also a fun way of engaging young children around the issue of hand hygiene,’ added Alderman Smith.

Key messages on Global Handwashing Day which apply to daily hand hygiene year-round, include:

• Wash your hands with soap at critical times, especially before eating, cooking, or feeding others
• Model good handwashing behaviour and remind or help others to always wash their hands before eating
• Make handwashing part of your family meals
• Establish places to wash your hands in the household, in your community, in schools, workplaces, and in health facilities
• Promote effective handwashing behaviour change in research, policy, programmes and advocacy

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