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About
Global
Handwashing Day
2009
Global Handwashing Day 2009 will revolve around
schools and children. On Global Handwashing Day,
playgrounds, classrooms, community centers, and the
public spaces of towns and cities will be awash with
activity to drive handwashing behavior change on a
scale never seen before, bringing the critical issue
to center stage.
Global Handwashing Day will be the centerpiece of a
week of activities that will mobilize millions of
people in more than 70 countries across all five
continents to wash their hands with soap.
Why
Focus on Children?
 Of
the approximately 120 million children born in the
developing world each year, half will live in
households without access to improved sanitation, at
grave risk to their survival and development. Poor
hygiene and lack of access to sanitation together
contribute to about 88% of deaths from diarrheal
diseases, accounting for 1.5 million diarrhea-related
under-five deaths each year. Children suffer
disproportionately from diarrheal and respiratory
diseases and deaths. But research shows that children
– the segment of society so often the most energetic,
enthusiastic, and open to new ideas – can also be
powerful agents of behavioral change. |
