From S. Ramesh Sakthivel, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), New Delhi
Background:
On 15th October 2008, through an innovative partnership between the Department of Drinking Water Supply (DDWS) and the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSE&L), the government of India with the support of UNICEF celebrated its first ever global hand washing day.
In order to take forward the momentum created in 2008, the government of India decided to celebrate this day as hand washing day every year and promote sanitation and hygiene with a special focus on handwashing with soap.
Studies conducted on hand washing practices in India have revealed the poor status of handwashing with soap especially before eating.
Schools are the best place to promote the practice of handwashing with soap as they are willing to adopt these good practices. The mid-day meal programme which caters to over 120 million children in schools across India can play an important role in promoting the practice of hand washing with soap.
Children can learn and demonstrate the correct ways of washing hands with soap with the objective of preventing themselves, their families and peers from diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections including the H1N1.
The Department of Drinking Water Supply with the support of UNICEF has developed IEC materials such as posters, pamphlet, teacher’s training module and TV and video spots to promote the practice of hand washing with soap. Available at http://ddws.gov.in/handwash/
You may also contact the state CCDUs/UNICEF offices for obtaining these materials in various regional languages.
Query:
From Shivani Kapoor, Futures Group, New Delhi
Our secondary research has revealed that there has been some active work on hand washing but there is a lack of representative data on hand washing and its impact on public health. Also, there seem to be a number of institutional alliances in the area of water and sanitation. I would like to understand the successes of these efforts and what the learnings are?
I request the Water Community members to share the following information:
- India-specific data on key scientific evidence of the effectiveness of hand washing and its positive impacts on child health
- Any studies or research material available on hand washing practices conducted in India
- Case studies on the health effects of hand washing in India and lessons learnt
- Contact details of persons/organizations actively involved with handwashing related activities (namely research, capacity building, communication material, grassroots level planning and implementation, partnership building, pilot projects and campaigns, etc).
The information provided by members will help to ensure the efforts made through the project are well informed and address the gaps rather than overlap with other ongoing efforts.
Responses were received, with thanks, from
1.J.Geetha, Gramalaya, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
2.Basanta Kumar Jena, Pragati, Puri, Orissa
3.Afser Ali, Madani Welfare Association, Bhubaneswar
4.B.L. Kaul, Society for Popularization of Science and Progressive Educational Society, Jammu
5.Ajit Kumar Saxena, Energy Environment and Development Society (EEDS), Bhopal
Summary of Responses
- Impact of the Handwashing campaign
- The community awareness has improved.
- Teachers realized that school health should be included in syllabus like other subjects.
- PRI members realized that hand washing is reducing diseases.
- This campaign forms a way to involve all sector peoples like District Educational office, SSA, PRIs, HLL, Elected representatives, Scout Association and NSS students.
- Children were instructed by their parents to wash their hands before cooking and serving food.
- Students shared the importance of hand washing with their parents.
Responses in Full
J.Geetha, Gramalaya, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
Gramalaya was conducting a school health programme in 257 schools in Tiruchirapalli District with WaterAid and www.water.org support in 2008. In the project, Gramalaya has organized a mega handwashing campaign in the project areas of Thottiam, Thatheyangarpet and Thuraiyur blocks of Tiruchirapalli District in Tamil Nadu. Special permission obtained from the District Educational officer for conducting the campaign. A detailed action plan was prepared for conducting the hand washing campaign with Gramalaya staff, TSC and District educational office. It has been planned to utilize 30000 school students in 429 villages with teachers and PLF leaders’. 60000 hand washing stickers were printed about hand washing techniques. It was planned that each student has to cover 5 houses and demonstrate how to wash hands with soap and water. Gramalaya health educators explained in detail about this in the previous day in 300 schools and demonstrated the technique. On hearing this news the secretary of the Scout Association of Tiruchirapalli district has voluntarily contacted Gramalaya and told that the teachers and Scout students would also participate in the campaign.
The inaugural function was organized in the respective blocks with Panchayat leaders of the area. The campaign was inaugurated in a different manner. School teachers, educational department officials, school students, PRI members, PLF leaders had participated, and the students demonstrated, as to how to wash hands before the audience. Then the students went to the house and called the inmates of the house, and explained the purpose of the visit and told them the importance of hand washing and hand washing in the critical times etc. and pasted the stickers in the doors. Then they asked them to bring some water in a bucket or tub and demonstrated them how to wash hands with soap and water. The adults and kids in the house eagerly watched the demonstration and promised the students that they will follow it from the next day onwards. The students took 10 to 15 minutes in each house to complete their exercise. The teachers, PLF leaders, SHG members and staff were going along with the students and clear the doubts when questions arise by the community. Hindustan Lever dealers, petty shop owners, PRI members donated sample soaps worth about Rs. 15000 for this purpose. There was a big demand on that day for sample soaps and not even a single soap was available in any shops. 286 schools, 18451 school students, 324 school teachers, 69 panchayat presidents,2 union chairman, 58 Gramalaya staff, 180 PLF leaders and TSC officials have covered 60013 households in one day. During this campaign, most of them got the knowledge on hand washing techniques.
Impact of the Handwashing campaign
- The community awareness has improved.
- Teachers realized that school health should be included in syllabus like other subjects.
- PRI members realized that hand washing is reducing diseases.
- This campaign forms a way to involve all sector peoples like District Educational office, SSA, PRIs, HLL, Elected representatives, Scout Association and NSS students.
- Children were instructed by their parents to wash their hands before cooking and serving food.
- Students shared the importance of hand washing with their parents.
Basanta Kumar Jena, Pragati, Puri, Orissa
We participated in Global Hand Wash campaign-2009. As a result of this:
- 653 students were sensitized about hand wash and about its advantages.
- 30 teachers and helpers were also sensitized about hand wash and about its advantages.
- The SWSC members, women slum dwellers, Anganwadi teachers and students participated in the programme and understood the technique of hand wash.
- The message of hand washing is communicated in 11 slums through public meeting and street play.
- The street plays propagated the message of safe drinking water, use of toilet and hand washing advantages.
The report available at http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-06100903.doc (DOC; Size: 1.12MB)
Afser Ali, Madani Welfare Association, Bhubaneswar
Our organization organised the Global Hand Washing Day on 23-27 October 2009 in Pipili block, Puri district, Orissa with the support of WaterAid U.K.
Available at http://www.solutionexchange-un.net.in/environment/cr/res-06100902.doc (DOC; Size: 1.70MB).
During this process, we reached 5000 persons through door-to-door campaigns.
B.L. Kaul, Society for Popularization of Science and Progressive Educational Society, Jammu
We at Ankur Vidyalaya Public High School Jawahar Nagar, New Plots, Jammu, a school for disadvantaged children, celebrated Global Hand wash Day on 15 October 2009 and educated children about the benefits of washing hands with soap and water at least five or six times a day i.e. after visiting washroom and before and after eating meals. The school provided soap for washing hands before the children ate their lunch in the school. In this manner, we are trying to raise awareness about the effectiveness of handwashing on child health.
Ajit Kumar Saxena, Energy Environment and Development Society (EEDS), Bhopal
The Energy Environment and Development Society (EEDS) with the support of UNICEF Bhopal have developed a "Mobile Unit Approach" for creating mass awareness among children and communities. The mobile van has different IEC materials, educational tools and games for creating awareness on sanitation and hygiene practices in many villages of Madhya Pradesh.
For more information please contact eeds@rediffmail.com
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