Global Handwashing Day is an annual global event celebrated in over 100 countries to promote handwashing with soap as a key behavior that can prevent diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea. The event now reaches over 1 billion people across more than 1,000,000 schools and is growing each year, helping to drive long-term policy and investment changes around handwashing. Proper handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many infectious illnesses that claim many lives worldwide, especially for children under five.
6. A Global Celebration
• A day to celebrate a simple behavior that can save lives – handwashing
with soap!
• Reaches over 1 billion
• Over 100 countries
• Over 1,000,000 schools
• Growing each year
• Leading to longer-term changes (ex. Policies, program investments,
political leadership, etc.)
9. • Pneumonia is the number one cause of
mortality among children under five years old
• The second most common cause of child
death world wide is caused by diarrhoea
39. For More Information
Global Handwashing Day
www.globalhandwashingday.org
The Global Public-Private Partnership for
Handwashing (PPPHW)
www.globalhandwashing.org (tools and
resources for implementers)
