Global Handwashing Day 2022

Global Handwashing Day 2022

Saturday, October 15, 2022, marks the internationally recognized observance of Global Handwashing Day, where we are reminded that regularly washing our hands with soap and water can significantly arrest the transmission of germs and illness.

Global Handwashing Day 2022

Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene

Global Handwashing Day serves three purposes:

  1. Create a culture of handwashing with soap and water.
  2. Raise awareness regarding the state of handwashing in various societies, and;
  3. Educate the population regarding the benefits of handwashing with soap.

Each year in October, participants are asked to raise awareness regarding how handwashing with soap and water can prevent the spread of disease and encourage those in their communities to wash their hands more often, especially before or after specific events, such as:

  • Before, during, and after preparing food.
  • Before eating food.
  • Before and after treating wounds or cuts.
  • Before and after touching a sick or injured person.
  • Before inserting or removing contact lenses.
  • After using the restroom.
  • After changing a diaper — wash the diaper wearer's hands, too.
  • After touching animals or animal waste.
  • After handling pet food or treats.
  • After blowing your nose.
  • After coughing or sneezing into your hands, and;
  • After handling garbage.

 

Community Impact

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease control and prevention, increasing handwashing participation among local community members can reduce;

  • Diarrhea infection rates by approximately 23%–40%.
  • Missed school days due to gastrointestinal illness by 29%–57%.
  • Diarrheal illness rates among the immunocompromised by about 58%, and;
  • Respiratory illnesses transmission among the general population by about 16%–21%.

 

Economic Impact

Handwashing challenges impact every country, even high-income countries like the United States, where the economic burden of healthcare-associated infections exceeds $6.5B annually.

According to the Global Handwashing Partnership:

The economic benefit from handwashing is not isolated to the prevention of diarrhea and pneumonia, as infections from other sources also pose an economic cost to countries, even in high-income countries.

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI), the majority of which can be prevented by good hand hygiene, are extremely costly to individuals, healthcare systems, and countries.

The economic loss attributed to the direct costs associated with HCAIs in Europe is €7 billion per year.

In the United States, the annual cost was estimated in 2004 to be US$6.5 billion.

Hand hygiene interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing drug-resistant infections in hospitals.

Why Handwashing - Economic Impact

 

Breaking the Chain of Infection

The average person touches their face roughly 23 times per hour.

Human eyes, ears, noses, and mouths are primary entry points for germs.

When we touch our face with unwashed hands, we increase the likelihood of passing germs into our body and making ourselves sick.

Germs also pass from people's hands to food and beverages where, under specific conditions, certain germs can multiply and spread.

Germs can also pass from our hands to surfaces where they can remain infectious for several hours to several days--even longer under the right conditions.

When other people touch those surfaces, the germs spread to their hands, and the cycle continues.

Handwashing with soap and water disrupts this cycle and prevents the spread of illness by removing germs from our hands before we spread them to ourselves and others.

 

Basic Handwashing Method

  • Wet your hands with clean water.
  • Apply soap to the hands.
  • Later the soap application by rubbing the hands together.
  • Scrub the hands (top and bottom), in between the fingers, and the fingernails for a minimum of 20 seconds.
  • Rinse all the soap with clean water in a motion, down and away from the body.
  • Thoroughly dry the hands with a clean paper towel.
  • In a public facility, use another paper towel to protect your hands when opening the door.
  • During cold and flu season, or if there is a local outbreak, apply hand sanitizer after exiting the restroom.

 

Promoting Handwashing Habits Early On

Good hand hygiene is a habit, so the sooner a child develops it, the healthier they will be.

That's why promoting quality handwashing in schools is so critical.

The CDC recommends:

  • Building time into the student's daily schedule to practice washing their hands.
  • Supervising younger children to ensure they are washing for the minimum recommended time and using the correct method.
  • Making hand sanitizer available and easily accessible to all facility occupants.
  • Increasing the number of handwashing stations, and;
  • Using visual cues to reinforce the benefits of handwashing regularly with soap and water.

 

References & Resources

 

Takeaway

Handwashing with soap and water helps prevent the transmission of illness.

The challenge isn't strictly access, but compliance.

People, especially children, often fail to wash their hands long enough or well enough to prevent the spread of disease, underscoring the need for consistent facility cleaning and disinfection services.

Outsourcing is a proven method for onboarding highly in-demand cleaning and disinfection services and experience for a fraction of the price of maintaining a similar service in-house.

If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation on-site assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!

In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253

In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059

In Valencia, CA, or Santa Clarita, CA, call (661) 437-3253

In Palmdale, CA, or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756


Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Southern Valley

Vanguard Cleaning Systems of the Southern Valley