DOH, Unicef campaign for frequent handwashing

The Department of Health and the United Nations Children's Fund are encouraging the public to practice frequent hand washing mainly in urban areas.

Unicef chief for water and sanitation Timothy Grieve said, in an event at the Music Hall of the Mall of Asia in Pasay, that hand washing is all the more relevant in the Philippines as many face the most recent flooding caused by recent typhoons.

Grieve said, "Hand-washing with soap can prevent you from getting sick especially from diarrhea. (Doing it) at critical times can reduce diarrhea rates by more than 40 percent – that (means) more time at school, less time at home, more time with friends, more time for play, more time doing things that you love."

The event, held at Mall of Asia in Pasay, was organized by Unilever and participated by students of Marcela Marcelo Elementary School in Malibay, Pasay.

DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean Ubial said, "There are evidences that repeated hand washing in a day really reduces diarrhea diseases as well as cough and colds. Droplet infections are also prevented by frequent hand washing when you do regular hand washing as much as 20 times a day."

Ubial added that proper hand washing should last two 'happy birthday' songs, that's about 20 to 30 seconds, and the washing should cover all the surfaces of the hands.

In a report released by the Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance Response, there were 9,050 cases of acute bloody diarrhea and greater part of them concerned children aged one to four. — ARA