The International Day of Handwashing

The International Day of Handwashing, also known as Global Handwashing Day, is celebrated annually on October 15th. 

This day was established by the Global Handwashing Partnership in 2008 to promote awareness and understanding about the importance of hand hygiene. The main goal is to encourage people worldwide to wash their hands with soap as a simple and effective way to prevent diseases and save lives.

Key Objectives of Global Handwashing Day

To raise awareness of the critical role handwashing plays in disease prevention, particularly respiratory and diarrheal diseases.

To promote behavioral change, by encouraging people to adopt regular handwashing with soap at key times, such as after using the toilet and before eating.

To support sustainable practices, by advocating for improved hygiene facilities and access to water and soap in homes, schools, and communities.

To engage governments, civil society organizations, private companies, and communities to support handwashing initiatives.

Dirty Hands Carry Germs

Our hands carry on average 3,200 different germs belonging to more than 150 species – of which some can be harmful and cause infection – and improved handwashing technique can reduce their transmission.

Dirty hands attract more germs, including harmful bacteria and viruses, due to several biological and environmental factors. Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them.

Dirt, sweat, oils, and residues from food or the environment provide an ideal environment for microbes to thrive. These substances are rich in organic material, which serves as a nutrient source for bacteria and fungi, allowing them to multiply rapidly.

The skin on our hands is often slightly moist due to sweat, which promotes microbial growth. Moisture not only provides a conducive environment for bacterial growth but also helps pathogens like viruses survive longer on the skin surface.

The human skin naturally hosts a variety of microorganisms, known as normal flora, including Staphylococcus epidermidis and Corynebacterium. When hands are dirty, these normal florae can become pathogenic under certain conditions, and the presence of dirt or residues can alter the skin’s pH and disrupt the balance of these microbes.

Contaminants such as soil, dust, and other particulates often contain pathogens like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Clostridium difficile. These pathogens can easily adhere to the skin and survive for extended periods, especially when protected by a layer of dirt.

Dirty hands are more likely to transfer pathogens to surfaces, objects, food, and even other individuals. This is because the dirt and oils on hands act as a sticky medium, making it easier for pathogens to latch onto surfaces and be transmitted.

Dirt and grime can cause microscopic abrasions on the skin, weakening its natural barrier function. This can make it easier for harmful microbes to penetrate deeper layers of the skin, increasing the risk of infection.

Many bacteria and viruses have specialized structures, like pili or fimbriae, which enable them to adhere to surfaces more effectively, including dirty or oily hands. The stickier the hand surface, the easier it is for these microbes to latch on and stay.

Dirty hands often indicate recent contact with high-risk environments such as bathrooms, kitchens, or public transport, which are hotspots for harmful pathogens. Such environments increase the chances of exposure to disease-causing organisms.

Washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers significantly reduces the number of pathogens on the skin. Soap helps break down oils and dirt, dislodging bacteria and other pathogens, while alcohol-based sanitizers denature proteins, effectively killing most germs.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common cause of morbidity and a leading cause of death among children aged less than five years, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It is transmitted by ingesting contaminated food or drink, by direct person-to-person contact, or from contaminated hands. Handwashing is one of a range of hygiene promotion interventions that can interrupt the transmission of diarrhea-causing pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella.

Handwashing can reduce diarrhea episodes by about 30%, reduces diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58%, and reduces absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in schoolchildren by 29-57%.

Skin Infections

Hand hygiene is the most important way to prevent the spread of skin infections in any setting. Pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus can cause localized skin infections, boils, or more serious conditions like cellulitis.

Brain Health

Handwashing indirectly benefits brain health by preventing infections that can affect the entire body, including the brain.

Good hand hygiene can help prevent infections like pneumonia, meningitis, or even the flu. Severe infections, especially when left untreated, can cause complications that impact brain function, leading to conditions like encephalitis or sepsis, both of which can harm the brain.

Chronic or severe infections can trigger inflammation in the body, which may eventually reach the brain. Inflammation has been linked to cognitive decline and may increase the risk of neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

By staying healthy and avoiding infections through regular handwashing, the body functions better as a whole, including cognitive processes and mental health.

Respiratory Infections

Handwashing reduces respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by 16-21%

Many respiratory illnesses, like the common cold, flu, and COVID-19, are spread through direct contact with contaminated surfaces or by droplets from coughing or sneezing. Proper hand hygiene can help reduce the risk of infection.

Regular handwashing with soap and water removes pathogens that can cause respiratory infections, especially after coughing, sneezing, or touching contaminated surfaces.

Proper handwashing prevents self-inoculation. People often touch their face, including their eyes, nose, and mouth, without realizing it. Washing hands regularly prevents germs from being transferred from contaminated surfaces to the respiratory system.

Handwashing breaks the chain of transmission. When fewer people spread germs via unwashed hands, the overall transmission of respiratory infections in a community decreases.

Tips for Effective Handwashing

Use clean running water. Wet your hands with clean, preferably warm, running water. Avoid using stagnant water which may be contaminated.

Lather your hands with soap, covering all surfaces, including the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

Scrub for at least 20 seconds. Singing "Happy Birthday" twice is a helpful timer.

Rinse your hands under running water to remove all soap and loosened germs.

Dry your hands using a clean towel. If using a towel, make sure it is dry and used exclusively by you, or use disposable paper towels.

After drying your hands, use a towel to turn off the faucet to avoid recontamination from the surface.

When soap and water aren’t available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces, until dry.

Always wash your hands before and after preparing and eating food, treating wounds, or caring for a sick person, inserting or removing contact lenses, such as door handles, gas pumps or shopping carts, entering or leaving a public place, and touching a surface that is frequently touched by other people,

Always wash your hands after using the toilet, changing a diaper or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet, touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, handling pet food or pet treats, and handling garbage.