Global Hand-Washing Day for a Healthier Indonesia

Jakarta, September 30, 2010- Lifebuoy is again this year revitalizes the Global Hand-Washing Day (GHD), celebrated every October 15. The aim is to promote hand washing with soap for families in Indonesia and realize a healthier Indonesia.

Launched for the first time by the United Nations (UN) on October 15 2008, Lifebuoy has taken part in celebration of GHD in Indonesia by providing education and promoting the importance of Lifebuoy’s hand washing with soap since 2004 through “Lifebuoy Berbagi Sehat” (Lifebuoy Health Sharing program)

For the celebration of GHD 2010, Lifebuoy holds a variety of activities, all to be held independently or in a national partnership under coordination of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia. Presentations on Lifebuoy GHD activities were given on Thursday (30/9) in a press conference by among others the Senior Brand Manager of Lifebuoy Erwin Cahaya Adi; dr. Handrawan Nadesul Health Expert; and Dik Doank Brand Ambassador of Lifebuoy.

Erwin claimed that promotion and education on hand-washing with soap still need to be provided by all parties. The wider the culture of hand-washing with soap, the larger impact it will have on the level of public health because hand-washing with soap can ward off numerous diseases. "Given the importance of hand-washing with soap, Lifebuoy is to make GHD celebration of 2010 as the momentum for expanding the culture of hand-washing with soap further and realize a healthier Indonesia," Erwin said. Lifebuoy is to hold various activities for this year’s GHD celebration as a means of education and promotion on the importance of hand-washing with soap.

The activities consist of:

-Seminar on "Hand-washing with Soap to Support Achievement of the fourth MDG and Realize a Healthier Indonesia".

-Building partnerships with various institutions such as the Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Woman Empowerment and Child Protection, and Central Team Movement for Family Welfare (TP PKK) to encourage hand-washing with soap simultaneously across Indonesia.

-Participating in the public and private partnerships for nationwide Global Public-Private Partnership for Hand-washing with Soap to support GHD celebration which will be centered in Bandung, West Java.

-Lifebuoy provides support in the form of hardware resources such as water installations for 1,000 taps and soap for washing hands together.

-Providing support in the form of soaps to be used when hand-washing with soap is simultaneously held in Aceh, Medan, Kutai, Banten, Makassar, Kupang, and Papua, by various donor agencies under coordination of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.

-The Hand-washing with Soap program is simultaneously held in four major cities: Jakarta, Semarang, Yogyakarta, and Probolinggo. Around 500 to 1,000 participants will take part in each city location. Every city may have more than one location for joint hand-washing actions.

-Lifebuoy gives support for the implementation of hand-washing with soap to be held simultaneously at 740 schools under its supervision across Greater Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java.

-Holding a competition of hand-washing with soap which is followed by the most participants and competition of drawing which will be followed by 740 schools under supervision of Lifebuoy in Java.

During his visits to a number of regions both as Lifebuoy Brand Ambassador and public figure, Dik Doank stated that efforts to promote hand-washing with soap culture among school children and their families must continue to be made by all parties. The culture is closely related to the health level which is also affected by one of the most important items in the clean and healthy living, namely hand-washing with soap. "Hand-washing with soap is an important effort to keep school children healthy and to support learning and education for children as healthy children would be keener to go to school," Dik Doank who runs his own sekolah alam (school of nature) said. Based on the result of the study conducted by WHO, hand-washing with soap is a simple step with a remarkable impact because it can prevent many diseases, such as diarrhea up to 45%.

Diarrhea is the world’s second deadly disease causing death to the child below five years old. About one out of five children suffering from diarrhea will end up with death.[1] That’s why more or less 1.5 million children below five year in the world die of diarrhea every year. Diarrhea remains a problem too for Indonesia’s public health. Diarrhea mobility rate in Indonesia is still significantly high to 423 per 1,000 populations.[2]

dr. Handrawan Nadesul also said diarrhea can be prevented with hand-washing with soap particularly during crucial moments, such as before meals. "If hand-washing with soap culture has grown in the Indonesian families, diarrhea and other diseases could be prevented so that our people’s health condition will be improved," dr. Handrawan went on to say. In order to expand hand-washing with soap culture in Indonesian society, Lifebuoy has expressed its hope that all parties including the media to help deliver the vital message to the society. The larger culture of hand-washing with soap, the more significant contributions will be given in support of the realization of healthier Indonesia.

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[1]http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/documents/9789241598415/en/index.html

[2]Informasi Pengendalian Penyakit dan Penyehatan Lingkungan 2008, Direktorat Jenderal Pengendalian Penyakit dan Penyehatan Lingkungan, Departemen Kesehatan