“HAND WASHING” THE BEST PRACTICE FOR REDUCING THE OCCURRENCE OF “DIARRHEAL DISEASES”

With water and a piece of soap costing Ugandan shillings 500, hand washing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infections, which takes the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, hand washing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote. With a theme "Help More Children Reach Their 5th Birthday", GOAL Agago/Pader-WASH team participated in celebration of the Global Hand Washing Day on 15/10/2012 at Lokapel Primary school. A total of 450 participants including the pupils, teachers and school management committee members of Lokapel primary school, members of school health club of Akwanga and Luchum Primary school and Paimol sub county officials attended. GOAL Agago Pader-WASH team sensitized participants on the importance of proper hand washing with soap and the critical times for hand washing. • Hands are always dirty with germs • We transmit germs from one person to another with our hands • Hands come in contact with many germs throughout the day (including cleaning ourselves after defecation). For this reason, hands should always be washed using soap (or ash) after defecation or using a latrine. The team also demonstrated proper hand washing with soap/ash to participants. Through a participatory exercise, children listed the “Critical Times of Hand washing” as follows; • After defecation/after using a latrine • After changing nappies and cleaning baby’s bottom • Before eating/feeding someone • Before preparing food/Cooking Turning hand washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. A vast change in hand washing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015 The team also demonstrated tippy tap construction to children and communities of Kotomor sub county Agago district and Atanga sub county Pader district. 95% of the households in both Kotomor and Atanga sub counties confirmed being able to afford buying a piece of soap at UGX 500 but only need to change their hand washing behaviors. I call upon everybody to always remember to wash hands with soap especially after toilet use and before eating. Remember 15th of October each year is Global Hand washing day. Compiled by Teo Namata (Project Manager-WASH)