Handwashing with soap is not only a simple daily act but also a powerful shield in preventing infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization, hand hygiene helps save millions of lives every year when done correctly at critical times and handwashing with soap can reduce the risk of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in children by up to 40%.
Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic show that hand hygiene and handwashing with soap play an important role in disease prevention and control in the community as well as infection prevention and control in healthcare facilities.
Responding to the Global Handwashing Day with the theme “Handwashing with soap - Why is it important” launched by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the People's Committee of Da Nang City, the Vietnam Women's Union and Unilever Vietnam International Company Limited, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong - Deputy Minister of Ministry of Health - emphasized the importance of hand hygiene in disease prevention and control in the community as well as infection prevention and control in medical facilities.
"Currently, some infectious diseases are still complicated and at risk of increasing if we do not proactively implement disease prevention and control measures. In addition, storms and floods are forecast to continue, with the risk of increasing infectious diseases related to clean water, environmental sanitation, and personal hygiene not being ensured during and after floods," the Deputy Minister emphasized.
Therefore, regularly washing hands with soap and clean water, maintaining environmental hygiene and personal hygiene are always important, simple, easy to do, and highly effective measures in disease prevention and control.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Huong - Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union - shared about the Campaign to build "5 no 3 clean" families and "5 yes 3 clean" families implemented by the Union at all levels over the past many years.
The campaign's "3 clean" criteria have created a widespread influence, attracting the attention of all levels and sectors and have been included in criteria 17.8 and 18.7 in the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, aiming to change the awareness and behavior of women and the community in environmental sanitation, personal hygiene, and household hygiene.
With the message “Family 3 clean - starting from washing hands with soap”, Vietnam Women's Union hopes for the cooperation of all levels, sectors and organizations in promoting communication to raise awareness, change attitudes and skills in washing hands with soap in the community, starting from each family member. Thereby, contributing to personal, family and community health care and soon achieving the criteria of “3 clean” in the National Target Program for New Rural Areas.
“3 clean families - starting with hand washing with soap” is the most practical practice model of the Vietnam Women's Union at all levels participating in response to Global Handwashing Day with Soap in 2024 and many years to come.
