HOPE SPRING HAND WASHING PAGE

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Covid Prevention Through Hand Washing

It could be argued that lack of proper hand washing is one of the major causes of COVID-19. Hand washing is very important to stay healthy. 

Infact, hand washing is one of the factors of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Most of the sickness in Africa is caused by not washing hands.

How to prevent COVID-19
Coronavirus started in China late last year, recent spread and rise of the virus to most countries of the world made WHO declare the virus outbreak a pandemic. To curb the spread of the virus, thorough handwashing with soap and water is encouraged.

When you wash your hands with water and soap after using the bathroom and before cooking we help prevent the spread of infection because we touch many things. 

Frequent hand washing thoroughly from time to time with soap and water or the use of alcohol-based sanitizer help prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

Best ways to wash your hand

  1. Wet your hands with water
  2. Apply soap generously to your hands
  3. Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds under running water (in between your fingers, the back of your hands and nails) and all part of your hands
  4. Rinse hand properly with clean running water
  5. Use a disposable paper towel or Air dryers to clean your hands If this is not available Let your hand dry by itself as the use of any towel can lead to leaving germs on the towel

Note: Avoid touching your face, mouth, and nose with your fingers

Don’t cough or sneeze into your hands, rather do that in between your elbows

Proper handwashing with soap and water not only prevent the spread of COVID-19 but also help prevent the spread of other illnesses and also reduce the spread of infections to other people. However, when water and soap are unavailable, alcohol-based sanitizers can be used, most alcohol-based sanitizers kill germs 99%

When should hands be washed?

  1. After leaving the toilet and bathroom
  2. After changing a baby diaper
  3. Coming back from a public place( store, meeting, market, hospitals) e.t.c
  4. After touching or disposing of trash
  5. After using a public facility or materials (ATM, Computer,)
  6. Before cooking and before eating food
  7. Before and after taking care of an ill person
  8. After feeding pets, touching them, and treating them
  9. After shaking hands and contact with people
  10. Before carrying a baby

It is important to wash your hands at all times to stay safe and prevent the spread of viruses.

Barrier to safe hand washing
Billions of people lack access to safe water even though it is a human right. More than 3 in one person lack access to safe water. 40 percent of the world population lack access to hand washing facilities like water and soap. People can’t live a dignified life without clean water and good hygiene. These are some of the barriers to hand washing 

  1. Absence of basic hand washing facilities
  2. Absence of proper orientation on the importance of hand washing
  3. Unfavourable environmental condition to WASH
  4. Poverty
  5. Individual opinion on hand washing 

How to tackle wash problems

  1. Prioritising WASH
  2. People in the rural areas should be considered when hand washing is concerned
  3. WASH advocacy
  4. Partnership with WASH organisation and relevant governmental agencies for better result
  5. Awareness on human right to water 

Market Sensitization Campaign 2019 Global Hand Washing Day

Hope Spring Water charity and its partner held a public hand washing sensitization campaign at Garki market Abuja on global handwashing day. The market place was chosen by all the partners so as to reach the grassroot

The aim of the market sensitization was to create awareness on proper hand washing and to teach people the proper way to wash hands for healthy living and to prevent illnesses. The Event started at about 11:15 am, with wateraid briefing all the partners and volunteers, afterwards (5) groups were created, with all partners represented for the Block by Block Sensitization, Akeem from Hope Spring Water led group 3. The Block by block sensitization lasted for 45 minutes.

To spice up the hand washing sensitization campaign, hand washing competition was organised at 1:05 pm, with 45 participants and representatives from all market blocks. With judges from various organisations Mr. Emmanuel Awe – Director Water Quality and Sanitation (Federal Ministry of Water Resource), Mrs. Yemisi – NTGS, Mr. Adeyemi Akeem – HopeSpring Water Charity Foundation, Ms. Evelyn Mere – Director of Programmes (WaterAid) and Ms. Elsie Ozika – Toilet Kulture Initiative.

At the end of the competition 15 winners were selected and presented with a Certificate of Participation and “Hygiene Champions Medal”. Also 15 Hand Washing Stations were donated to the market and received by the Chairman of the market association. The event came to an end with a photo section and media interview.

Hand Hygiene Day – 5 May 2017

Hand hygiene 2017 theme – Clean Care is Safer Care

World Health Organisation (WHO) designates the 5th of May of every year to hand hygiene, giving the day an apt name: Hand Hygiene Day. Everyone is encouraged to, and reminded to wash their hands regularly on Hand Hygiene Day, with each year focusing on a specific sector.
Hand hygiene day 2017 is focused on promoting correct and regular handwashing in the health care sector, with emphasis on reducing and preventing antibiotic resistant in health care. WHO has this to say on Hand Hygiene Day 2017:

Each year the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to progress the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care and to ‘bring people together’ in support of hand hygiene improvement globally.

what is Hope Spring doing to promote Hand Hygiene Day?

As a Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) charity, we will be working with hospitals to get the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands message out there. If you run a clinic or a hospital, and would like to collaborate with Hope Spring to promote SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands, please contact us. Alternatively, yo can visit WHO pages for more information and useful promotional materials and resources: http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/en/.

Hope Spring Water promotes sanitation and hygiene all year round. In April 2017, our volunteer visited schools in Nigeria, to promote and encourage hand washing. The picture below is from Jossy Montessori School, in Lagos state, one of the schools our volunteers visited. The school child in the picture is demonstrating hand

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Other Hand Washing Pages

2017 Global handwashing day 

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