Handwashing can prevent the transmission of a number of deadly pathogens spread from human feces, making it more effective than any single vaccine against diseases, such as shigellosis, typhoid, cholera, all other common endemic gastro-enteric infections, and influenza and pneumonia. This is a central message of Global Handwashing Day, held Oct. 15.

 

The event, now in its fifth year, is organized by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap – a coalition of international public and private stakeholders, including the World Bank, UNICEF, USAID, Unilever, Proctor and Gamble, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 

Abt Associates recognizes the value of handwashing and incorporates it into projects, such as the USAID Avian and Pandemic Influenza Initiative (USAID/APII) in Vietnam. USAID/APII has three parts: Animal Health, Human Health and Behavior Change Communications, each of which incorporates handwashing as part of the program.

 

“The project’s goal is to prevent the spread of emerging infectious disease, especially highly pathogenic avian influenza,” said APII Chief of Party, Dr. Mike Bunning. “Handwashing is a very effective way to reduce the transmission risk of diseases from poultry to humans and potentially between humans.”

 

One major USAID/APII activity is assisting facilities to implement a national Vietnamese government mandate for health facilities to carry out infection control committees and plans. The project has developed training for health care providers at District-level hospitals on facility-based infection control. This includes teaching proper hand-washing techniques, working with hospitals to keep disinfectant soap and hand-washing instructions at sinks, and installing alcohol hand rub stations in places with limited access to sinks.

 

USAID/APII also has provided training for farmers and agriculture extension workers on the importance of washing their hands after caring for poultry. The project installed sinks with running water in slaughter houses and markets to allow poultry vendors, butchers, and customers to wash their hands. This also reduces transmission risks for other types of illnesses.

 

The message of handwashing is also being carried through several video clips, posters, and billboards produced by the project. The videos featured Xuan Bac, a well-known Vietnamese actor who is Vietnam’s Goodwill Ambassador for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation. These clips aired nationwide including one video that specifically focused on handwashing.

 

“Handwashing is becoming more of a normalized practice as a part of standard precautions in Vietnam through this and the other USAID/APII efforts,” said Ms. Hoang Bich Thuy, the project’s technical director for behavior change communication. “It’s one of the most effective and least costly ways to stay healthy.”