Recognizing the importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion in early childhood care and development, and in support to the celebration of the Global Annual Hand washing Day, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will launch the National Hand washing Day in day care centers on October 16, 2013.

The event will be held in Barangay Socorro Day Care Center, Cubao, Quezon City to be participated in by 80 day care children.

Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said that, “We are launching this campaign in day care centers to support the implementation of Essential Health Care Program (EHCP) of three basic hygiene practices to schoolchildren, namely: hand-washing, toothbrushing, and de-worming.”

“We want to stress the importance of hand washing with soap among day care children. The simple act of washing hands can prevent diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia, the leading causes of death among children aged 0-5,” Secretary Soliman said.

“Children under five (5) years of age, are most vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhea, caused by poor hygiene and unsanitary environment,” Secretary Soliman pointed out.  “Strong evidence indicates that hand washing with soap is one of the most effective interventions available to reduce the incidence of such disease,” Secretary Soliman further stated.

GHD celebration is held annually on October 15 since 2008 by the Global Public-Private Partnership for hand washing to foster and support a global culture of hand washing with soap, shine a spotlight on the state of hand washing in every country, and raise awareness about the benefits of hand washing with soap.

The DSWD has issued a memorandum encouraging Regional Field Offices to implement daily group handwashing with soap in all day care centers, ensure availability of soap, safe water supply, functional toilets and group handwashing facilities, and integrate water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in training of day care workers and parent effectiveness seminars.

The memorandum is issued in support of DSWD Administrative Order No. 15 issued in 2011 entitled “Guidelines for the Accreditation of Day Care Centers and Day Care Workers,” which prescribes hand washing practice of day care children, availability of hand washing facilities like safe water supply, functional toilets and sinks in all day care centers. ###