Posted on October 5, 2010 by westerhof| Leave a comment After the re-launch of Lifebuoy, Unilever Uganda has rolled out a hand washing campaign as a way of transforming behavioral practices when it comes to hygiene and sanitation.
This started with a health symposium in Kampala under the theme "Hand washing with soap for healthier living". Hand-washing with soap is the single, most cost-effective health intervention to secure the family's health according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The symposium took place on Friday, October 1, 2010 at Golf Course Hotel. The meet is meant to prepare us for the Global Hand washing Day due to take place on October 15.
Key speakers at the symposium included experts in health specifically hand washing from the Ministry of Health, Head teachers and World Bank officials.
"This health event is meant to raise awareness about proper had washing practices which over time have been ignored and taken for granted. Our objective is to reduce the number of children dying from common preventable diseases, which could be reduced by simple every day steps of washing our hands effectively," said Unilever Uganda Country Customer Manager, George Inholo.
Data from the World Bank's Water and Sanitation Programme indicate that hand-washing with soap can reduce diarrhoea incidence by up to 45% and acute respiratory infections by 30%. According to the World Health Organisation, diarrhoea and respiratory infections are responsible for two out of every three deaths in children globally. Mr. Inholo added that, "Lifebuoys' ambition is to change the behaviour of over one billion people globally, to adopt the habit of hand-washing with soap at all critical times into an automatic behaviour by 2015. Unilever Uganda Limited with her partners are committed to inculcating this simple, and yet least-practised life-saving hygiene habit."
Source: Albert Ahabwe, East African Business Week /allAfrica.com, 4 October 2010
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