ISLAMABAD:The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), in collaboration with development partners and different government stakeholders marked Global Handwashing Day, with the theme “Clean Hands are Within Our Reach” here on Tuesday.
The occasion served as a platform to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene and its long-term effects on the health and living standards of children and the community.
PCRWR in collaboration with its key partners is celebrating Global Hand washing Day, 2023 in the schools adopted under the “Clean Green Pakistan project”, in the 23 districts of Punjab, KP, Sindh, AJK and Quetta.
Global Hand Washing Day is a global advocacy day dedicated to raising awareness about the significance of hand washing with soap as an effective and affordable means to prevent diseases and save lives.
The event commenced with an enlightening introduction to global handwashing and hand hygiene, setting the tone for the day’s discussions and activities.
Former Chairman PCRWR, Dr. Muhammad Ashraf in his welcome remarks emphasized the collective responsibility to promote hand hygiene and the pivotal role played by organizations like PCRWR, UNICEF, the Education Department, the Health Department and their partners in creating a healthier and more hygienic Pakistan.
Ms Lubna Javed, Director of Programs at IRC, presented the role of IRC and its efforts in promoting handwashing in Pakistan to combat infections.
Arif Jabbar Khan elaborated on the monitoring and evaluation of hand hygiene interventions and the role of Wateraid Pakistan in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) initiatives.
Kamran Naeem, WASH-CED specialist from UNICEF, delved into hand hygiene practices in Pakistan and the critical role of UNICEF in child health and infection prevention.
Ms Susuana Lardies Zabala, Senior Program Manager at UNOPS Pakistan, discussed the key determinants of change in promoting hand hygiene.
Dr Rabail Javed, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health, Islamabad, and Dr. Farah Sabih from the World Health Organization (WHO) Pakistan, emphasized the collaborative efforts of health departments, WHO, UNICEF, and various partner organizations in promoting handwashing in local contexts.
Dr M. Ayub Rose from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)/RAYN Group Islamabad provided a sobering statistic, highlighting that around 53,000 Pakistani children under the age of five succumb to diarrhea annually due to poor hygiene and sanitation.
Itsuro Takahash, WASH specialist UNICEF discussed the challenges of capacity building and behavior change. He emphasized on the influence of message.
The event was concluded by a vote of thanks by Dr Hifza Rasheed, Director General (WQ) PCRWR.