Global Handwashing Day

When Ecuadorian Red Cross volunteers visited hard-to-reach communities in Mastrantral District on Ecuador's coastline in March 2025 to provide vaccinations, they also conducted handwashing demonstrations and emphasized the importance of clean hands. This work is part of the Programmatic Partnership between IFRC, National Societies and the European Union . “Certain places are hard to reach, but we do our best to reach these communities that need it.” says Lisette Pinargote Villón, a volunteer with Ecuadorian Red Cross. “We have taught the community the importance of handwashing, and also that they should take care to avoid diseases that are common here, such as dengue.” By integrating handwashing promotion with vaccination activities, the Red Cross ensures that families receive comprehensive health support. This combined approach helps communities stay healthy not just through immunization, but also through everyday practices that prevent the spread of disease.

  The evidence is clear: good hand hygiene through handwashing with soap or alcohol-based handrub can dramatically reduce the transmission of diseases that claim millions of lives each year. Beyond disease prevention, hand hygiene brings wider benefits. Studies show it reduces school absenteeism and improves wellbeing, dignity, and productivity – creating ripple effects that strengthen entire communities. Community volunteer Marijan shares health and hygiene tips with Sayedul Amin and Setara Begum, two residents of a camp for displaced people from Myanmar, located in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. In Camp 13 in Cox's Bazar, Sayedul Amin and his wife Setara Begum have transformed their shelter into a model of healthy living. Their home is clean and organized, with a small garden where fresh vegetables grow. Their two sons have learned to wash their hands regularly, a habit their parents practice and teach every day. The family learned about proper hygiene from Marijan, a Bangladesh Red ...

This Global Handwashing Day , we're excited to share a tutorial on best handwashing practices from field officers Joyce and Patience, along with students from Emusala Primary School in Western Kenya.

In Hama, health awareness teams from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are teaching students about diseases related to water and hygiene. Through a two-month campaign supported by the Norwegian Red Cross, volunteers reached over 21,500 students across 34 schools. The teams worked with students from grades 1 to 6, using lessons designed for each age group. Volunteers taught interactive sessions on how diarrheal diseases spread, how to prevent them, and the correct steps for handwashing, while also clearing up common myths about personal hygiene.

A simple act that takes less than a minute can be the difference between life and death. Yet billions of people around the world still don't have access to basic handwashing facilities at home, at school, or in their local health clinic. As the world marks Global Handwashing Day, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is highlighting how hand washing with soap  protects millions of people from deadly diseases  and strengthens communities around the globe. Handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent disease, but too many people still can't access it, leaving them vulnerable to infections that are entirely preventable. "Clean hands are not a luxury – they are a fundamental human right," said Alexandra Machado, IFRC Senior Officer for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Public Health. "When we invest in handwashing, we invest in healthier children, stronger economies, and more resilient communities."

As we approach Global Handwashing Day, it’s crucial to reflect on the significance of hand hygiene in our daily lives. This year, the Global Handwashing Partnership will be hosting its annual event at the 2024 UNC Water & Health Conference through a spotlight session titled, “ Spotlighting Hand Hygiene: Elevating the Little H on Global Handwashing Day and Beyond . ” Elevating the Little H in WASH While water and sanitation often take center stage, it’s crucial to elevate the “little H” – hygiene – to ensure comprehensive health and well-being. Hygiene, particularly hand hygiene, plays a pivotal role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases and maintaining overall health. Despite its importance, hygiene often receives less attention and resources compared to water and sanitation. This forthcoming session aims to shift that focus and highlight the critical role of hand hygiene within the broader WASH community. Elevating the little H in WASH means recognizing that hygiene i...

Global Handwashing Day (GHD) is a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of hand hygiene and triggering lasting change from the policy-level to community-driven action. Founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership , the day serves as an opportunity to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands at critical times. Why are clean hands still important? This year’s Global Handwashing Day theme reflects an important question, “ Why are clean hands still important? ” While significant progress in hand hygiene awareness has been made, maintaining and improving hand hygiene behaviors remains crucial beyond public health emergencies , including the COVID-19 pandemic.  The benefits of clean hands Hand hygiene, whether through handwashing with soap or alcohol-based handrub, can help reduce the transmission of a range of diseases:Handwashing with soap can reduce diarrheal diseases by 30% . Handwashing with soap can re...

 Action for Academics.

Global Handwashing Day was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership , and is an opportunity to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap at critical times.   For media and interview requests, contact us on: unwater@un.org mentioning [Media request] in the subject heading.

Join us on Wednesday, October 11th, to hear what others are doing to ensure hand hygiene progress at the global, national, and individual levels. 2023 Global handwashing day annual event. WHEN: October 11th, 2023. TIME: 8:00 AM EDT - 12:00 1:30 pm UTC. EVENT TYPE: hybrid event. Register to participate!   Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #CleanHandsareWithinReach .

Join us next Tuesday, September 12, for our annual Global Handwashing Day briefing call ! 

GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN, TEST, AND REPLICATE CREATIVE WAYS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WASH THEIR HANDS WITH SOAP AT CRITICAL TIMES. Recent years have seen a rise in hand hygiene commitment and action . While great strides have been made, we must triple our current efforts to achieve global hand hygiene targets . Through strong leadership and collective efforts, we can close gaps in access and practice to achieve hand hygiene for all .  Everyone has a role to play to ensure clean hands are within reach.

From launching a Global Handwashing Day campaign to learning more about hygiene , there is something that everyone can do to promote handwashing .  Hands are the part of the body that are most exposed to germs and substances in every environment shared with other people. Be it your home, office, schools, hospitals, shopping centres or public transport, you can pick up unwanted germs and transmit them to your mouth or to other objects or people. As 80% of communicable diseases are transferred by touch, many germs that can make people sick are spread when we don’t wash our hands with soap and clean, running water. It is basic and recognized that handwashing with soap for at least 20 seconds , removes germs from hands that will prevent the  spreading of infections since germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth or just by contact with surfaces. Simple facts like knowing that washing hands can reduce the number of people getting sick with diarrhea by 23 to ...