Health and Education go hand in hand - PROMOTING THE IMPORTANCE OF HAND HYGIENE

Teaching children from a young age - how and when - to wash hands is vital to the prevention and spread of infectious diseases such as TB.

Children enrolled at BbP’s Library Learning Centres across PNG will be celebrating Global Hand washing Day on Monday the 16th to learn about personal hygiene practices through play and song. Children around the world are being taught to sing a popular song – such as Happy Birthday – twice, to make sure they wash their hands long enough to remove germs.

During the celebration day, the children will be learning about hand washing through simultaneous handwashing, blowing soap bubbles and singing the hand washing song for a minimum of 20 seconds. They will be given a presentation by their teachers about when to wash hands, such as after toilet visits and before eating as well as the different steps to follow when washing hands.

Health and education are closely linked and BbP will be making sure to have extra supplies of soap and bubbles to ensure the children adopt a healthy hand hygiene from a young age as a result of this awareness day.

Anne-Sophie Hermann, Buk bilong Pikinini Founder/Chairperson said:

“Buk bilong Pikinini’s awareness program includes learning about potentially life- threatening diseases through play and singing to ensure the children remember the lessons we teach.  It is important that they take the message home and BbP has always asked the parents to ensure their children have washed their face, hands and feet before coming to the libraries in the morning. Ensuring good personal hygiene through frequent hand washing is an effective way of minimizing infectious diseases. There will be lots of bubbles and splashing going on to make sure we do our part to foster healthy behaviors, which will hopefully last for a life time.”