Today marks World Hand Hygiene Day. The annual campaign, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) leads has highlighted the importance of proper hand washing.
Hygiene reduces the spread of infectious diseases, particularly in communities with water and sanitation challenges. In South Africa (SA), the provincial Gauteng Health Department will mark the day in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.
The event forms part of efforts to promote disease prevention and public health awareness.
The annual campaign is led by the WHO.
Health officials say hygiene plays a key role in reducing the spread of infectious diseases, particularly in communities facing water and sanitation challenges.
Gauteng Health Spokesperson Steve Mabona says, “The World Hand Hygiene Day is commemorated annually on May 5 under the auspices of a global campaign spearheaded by the WHO. Now in many communities, challenges such as limited access to safe water, inadequate sanitation facilities and overcrowding increase the risk of communicable diseases. Now this includes diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid and any other respiratory infections.”
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
