Global Hand Washing Day Report Report By:Omung’ala Olubuyi Activity Date:17 th October 2015 Implementing ICP:KE367 PAG Musembe CDC Project Location:PAG Musembe Church Hamisi District in Kenya Contacts: , P. O. Box 7 – Banja, Kenya

Theme for Global Hand-washing Day 2015 “Raise a hand for hygiene”! The act of raising a hand is one of affiliation You can and should identify yourself as a hygiene champion This will help create a strong social norm of good hygiene in schools, community, or institutions It is possible for the government to count how many people wash their hands and have access to hygiene facilities in homes, schools, and healthcare facilities

Objectives for global Hand-washing Day “ Increase, improve and sustain good hand washing behaviour and form good hand - washing habits ”  PAG Musembe CDC envisage behavior change  We want more project children, caregivers and community members to wash their hands using soap and to sustain that behavior  This in turn will lead to the “ultimate goal” of public health impact, including reducing diseases such as respiratory infections, skin diseases and diarrhea

Hamisi District Public Health Officer taking PAG Musembe CDC caregivers through Hand washing (using soap) steps during the training on 19 th October 2015

Frequently Asked Questions about Hand-washing Q What are the benefits of handwashing with soap ?  Hands are the principal carriers of disease-causing germs, and handwashing with soap could stop one million of those deaths  Washing hands with soap after using the toilet or cleaning a child and before handling food can reduce rates of diarrheal disease by nearly one-half and rates of respiratory infection by about one- quarter  Handwashing can also prevent skin infections, eye infections, intestinal worms, SARS and Avian Flu, and benefits the health of people living with HIV/AIDS

Q What is the “correct” way to wash hands? Proper handwashing requires soap and only a small amount of water Running water from a tap is not needed; a small basin of water or “Tippy Tap” is sufficient Tippy Taps are cans or plastic bottles that release a small amount of water – just enough for a clean hand wash – each time they are tipped One should cover wet hands with soap; scrub all surfaces of hands, including palms, back, between the fingers and especially under the fingernails, for at least 20 seconds; rinse well with running water. Dry either on a clean cloth or by waving in the air. An easy way to gauge 20 seconds is to find a familiar song that takes about that long to sing; for instance, it takes about 20 seconds to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.

Q Why isn’t it enough to wash with water alone?  Washing hands with water alone, a more common practice is significantly less effective than washing hands with soap  Using soap adds to the time spent washing, breaks down the grease and dirt that carry most germs by facilitating the rubbing and friction that remove them and leaves hands smelling pleasant  The clean smell and feeling that soap creates is an incentive for its use

Q What are the “critical moments” when hands should be washed with soap?  Hands should be washed with soap after using the toilet or cleaning a child’s bottom or any other contact with human excreta and before handling food Q Is antibacterial soap better at stopping the spread of disease than regular soap?  With proper use, all soaps are equally effective at rinsing away the germs that cause diarrheal disease and respiratory infections  Research has shown that the majority people of even poor households have soap in their homes

Centre children taking active part in Handwashing training at Musembe CDC

Project child explaining to other centre children how to make leaky tins

Public Health officer with centre children during practical session of Global Handwashing Day

The ICP Kitchen Manager – Wellington Ambani demonstrating how to wash hands using soap during the Global Handwashing Day

Outcomes After the training on Saturday 17 th November ICP children went home and trained other children in their homesteads including caregivers on how to wash hands using soap The caregivers turned up in big numbers for the same training on Monday 19 th November and gave feedback to the ICP Attendance: Children 297, caregivers 258 Each ICP household was provided with leaky tins for handwashing use in their homesteads Both children and caregivers were able to demonstrate and share handwashing skills effectively

IMPACT Increased door-to-door visits by hygiene promoters and CDWs to discuss with children and caregivers the role of handwashing in nurturing children Increased proportion of ICP children and caregivers who report washing hands with soap and water at two critical times during the day Reduced prevalence of illness among children Increased use of leaky tins in households

Appreciation  Sponsors – Compassion International, Kenya  Catherine Wamiti, CKE, Nairobi  PF Shadrack Nakua  ICP and CPC  CDWs and staff  Ministry of Health Vihiga County