Since 2008, Global Handwashing Day has been celebrated annually on October 15 to promote handwashing with soap and water as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent disease and save lives. When handwashing with soap is practised at key moments, such as after using the toilet or before eating, it can dramatically reduce the risk of diarrhea and pneumonia, which can cause serious illness and death. Handwashing with soap also helps prevent the spread of other infections and viruses including influenza and COVID-19.
Alarming numbers
Considering that 1.37 billion people (18% of the world’s population) lack handwashing facilities at home1, we can safely say this issue matters greatly!
Handwashing has been and will continue to be one of the most effective ways to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and is by far one of the most important behaviours to adopt for a healthy life.
Access to WASH services and information alone is not enough to shift human behaviour; individuals must be convinced that they have a vital role to play, and they require frequent reminders to stay motivated and keep up the behaviours that protect themselves and others from disease.
For example, even when a health care facility has access to supplies and infrastructure and staff members are aware of proper hand hygiene behaviours, some 61% of health workers still do not practise them.2 In addition to ensuring access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, we need to promote systemic and long-term behaviour change, in order to improve the current statistics where 1 in 6 patients worldwide acquire an infection inside a health care facility.3
Solutions for better water access and sanitation through information campaigns
As part of the implementation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, various large-scale information campaigns are being conducted at the Project community level and for secondary school students to achieve true long-term sustainability and social behavior change. We believe in the combined power of providing access to safe WASH services, promoting healthy lifestyles and improving the public’s understanding of good daily practices through such campaigns.
To achieve these goals, the Project works in close cooperation with secondary schools and district healthy lifestyle centers (HLS). Thus, in the Vose district, starting from August 2022, a school information package of extracurricular activities on WASH and MHM issues was launched among teachers and students of secondary schools. Schoolteachers, in coordination with the PMU and local representatives of healthy lifestyle centers, regularly conduct conversation lessons, various competitions, information meetings and open lessons on WASH issues.
Along with many activities for information support of the population, on October 13 and 14, 2022, a large-scale information campaign was carried out in secondary schools in rural areas in the Vose district of Khatlon region. The campaign was carried out by project-trained teachers from the schools themselves in coordination with the local department of education and the PMU. School students from grades 3 to 8 participated actively and showed great interest in the issue of hygiene and handwashing, especially with soap, as a daily routine.
The Project’s goal is Access, Behavior Change and Sustainability. These elements make up our communication campaign model by which the Project moves forward. The combined power of these three components, we make our work sustainable, creating an enabling environment for positive change and helping communities reach their full potential and change their lives for the better!