Global Handwashing Day: People touch their eyes, nose and mouth without even realising it. Germs are capable of entering the body through these passages and cause diseases, if one doesn't wash hands regularly.
Global Handwashing Day 2020: This day is meant to encourage the practice of regular handwashing
HIGHLIGHTS
- Regularly washing hands can reduce respiratory illness
- Global Handwashing Day is observed on October 15
- It is one of the most important preventive measures against coronavirus
Global Handwashing Day 2020: October 15 is observed as Global Handwashing Day. The day is dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of handwashing with soap and water as an effective and affordable way to be disease-free. Washing hands holds supreme importance during the global pandemic of coronavirus. Washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds has been found to be one of the most important preventive measure for COVID-19. This Global Handwashing Day, efforts need to be made to design creative ways to encourage people to regularly wash hands with soap and water, especially during critical times.
Global Handwashing Day: Coronavirus prevention and other reasons why regular washing handwashing is important
Germs that are capable of making people sick are spread when one doesn't wash hands with soap and clean, running water. Before eating, when using the washroom, when preparing food, while coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose are a few instances when washing your hands is of supreme importance.
Also read: Know How To Properly Wash Your Hands And The Many Health Benefits Associated With It
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, handwashing with soap and water can dramatically reduce the number of young children who get sick. Educating people about the importance of washing hands can enable the communities to stay healthy. It can help in the following ways:
- Reduce respiratory illnesses like cold in the general population by 16 to 21%
- It can reduce absenteeism among school-going children, because of gastrointestinal illness, by 29-57%
- Among people with a weak immune system, it can reduce diarrhoeal illness by 58%
- The number of people who get sick with diarrhoea can be reduced by 23-40%
Source: CDC
Handwashing regularly is also important because people touch their eyes, nose and mouth without even realising it. Germs are capable of entering the body through these passages. Germs from hands that are not washed can also get transferred to other objects like table tops, handrails, toys, etc, and then transfer to another person's hands.
Keeping your hands clean and germ-free can prevent the onset of diseases
Photo Credit: iStock
Also read: 7 Reasons Why Your Hands Are Always Cold: Tips To Keep Them Warm
All in all, the importance of washing hands regularly cannot be stressed enough. This Global Handwashing Day, let's pledge to inculcate this practice in our daily routine and also encourage others around us for the same.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
