The Simple Act of Washing Hands

Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865) was called a maniac in his time for his obsession of washing hands.Though he was revered as the 'Saviour of Mothers' for his role in saving the lives of mothers from bacterial infection of the reproductive tract following birth of a child, he was mocked for his proposal of washing hands with chlorinated lime solution at Vienna General Hospital's First Obstetrical Clinics. Through his endeavour the maternal mortality rate dropped from 18% to 2%. As he could not offer any scientific explanation for his findings other doctors and scientists mocked him for this practice. It was until Louis Pasteur came up with his germ theory to prove his point, he was forgotten. Many years later the contribution of Ignaz Semmelweis came into discussion when the whole world was tattering during the pandemic of COVID-19. Everyone became aware of hand hygiene. On the occassion of Global Handwashing day it is important to revive the memory.

Every year October 15th is celebrated as the Global handwashing Day all over the world. Millions of people come together to celebrate this special to spread the awareness about washing hands. The simple and easy way of washing hands with soap is an affordable yet effective practice to save the lives by preventing diseases. it aims to make handwashing a daily ritual to safeguard ourselves from severe infections. Since 2008  the 15th Day of October is marked for the annual celebration of Global Handwashing Day. The day is dedicated to raise the worldwide awareness about the vital practice of handwashing with soap.

If we wash our hands properly-scrubbing for at least 20 seconds with soap and water- we can effectively remove dirt, viruses and bacteria that we pick up from our surroundings. As our hands are in continuous contact with our surroundings, they gets contaminated with virus, bacteria and other harmful microbes. Proper hand hygiene breaks the chain of transmission. Thus it stops the spread of germs before they can make us sick. This year the day comes with a slogan- "Accelerate action together. SAVE LIVES:Clean Your Hands."

The day also serves as a reminder that access to soap and clean water is a basic right that many still do not have. Over 2.3 billion people around the world lack access to basic hygiene services, which poses a major threat to public health, especially in developing nations. 

Each year Global Handwashing Day features campaigns, educational programmes and community events that teach the importance of proper handwashing. Schools, Colleges, Hospitals and Community Centres play a key role in educating children and adults about when and how to wash hands to prevent illness.

Every year Global Handwashing Day reminds us of a small, everyday habit that can have profound impact on the health and well being of our health as well as our communities. As we celebrate this day, let's recommit ourselves to practicing and promoting hand hygiene, knowing that our small everyday act can save lives of millions.