As in other countries in the world, Indonesia too marks the Global Hand-washing Day (GHD) on October15. GHD has become a crucial moment to create awareness of healthy lifestyle of hand-washing with soap for Indonesian families. Furthermore, the government hopes that healthy lifestyle of hand-washing with soap will increase at an average to 58% this year.
Parties and institutions campaigning for the Global Hand-washing with soap are Meutia Hatta Swasono, State Minister for Woman Empowerment; Abidinsyah Siregar, Head of Health Promotion Center of the Health Ministry; Erwin Cahaya Adi, Senior Brand Manager Lifebuoy of PT Unilever Indonesia, Tbk.; Hadi Supeno, Chairman of Indonesia Child Protection Commission (KPAI); Effi Mardianto, Chairwoman of National Family Welfare Movement (PKK) and Pandji Pragiwaksono, Brand Ambassador for Campaign of Lifebuoy ‘s Petition for Healthy Indonesia.
Erwin Cahaya Adi, Senior Brand Manager of Lifebuoy of PT Unilever Indonesia, Tbk.said, “Hand-washing with soap is one of the most effective ways to prevent diarrhea and pneumonia, the two main causes of death to children. Every year, more than 3.5 million children do not reach the age of 5 due to diarrhea and pneumonia. The common challenge we are facing now is how to change an abstract idea of washing hands with soap into a habit for people in all walks of life and society at home and in schools around the world.”
The United Nations has since 2008 determined October 15 as the Global Hand-washing Day with Soap. Activities are held to mobilize millions of people across five continents to wash their hands with soap. The more frequently they wash their hands with soap, the more significant their contribution to meet the target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of reducing the under-5 children mortality rate to 70% by 2015.
This year’s GHD is to involve schools and focus on children as they have high spirits and are open to new ideas. By educating them at an early age at school, they will get accustomed to the habit at home and act as an agent of change in their family. In addition, about 120 million children are born in the developing countries annually; half of them will live in families without any access to improved sanitation that will affect their lives. Bad sanitation and lack of access to sanitation contribute to 88% of mortality caused by diarrhea.
Therefore, Lifebuoy with its partners has called for public participations to mark the Global Hand-washing Day 2009 by educating a clean and healthy life habit through implementation of washing hands with soap in primary schools, a momentum to call for all parties to take a tiny step in our lives i.e. a change in habit that leads to healthier Indonesian’s future generations.
In partnerships with the Health Ministry, the Women Empowerment Ministry, KPAI, National PKK and some local NGOs partner of Unilever Indonesia’s Foundation such as Yogyakarta Special Province’s Padmaya, East Java’s Spektra, and Institute of Civil Society and Development (ICSD), Lifebuoy helps promote the hand-washing education at 2,400 Primary Schools in three provinces: East Java, West Java, and Yogygakarta. Also taking part in the actions are Lifebuoy’s pilot project primary school networks with 5,320 students located in the cities of Jakarta, Bandung, Sukabumi, and Tangerang, as well as networks of 74 national private radios at a number of other cities across the country. Hand-washing with soap is to be initiated by Lifebuoy in 9 cities in Indonesia: Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Medan, Makassar, Banjarmasin, Ambon and Jayapura.
This year, Erwin said Lifebuoy and all parties calls for everyone, from the government, private sectors, educational institutions until the society to launch simultaneous hand-washing actions on October 15 at 10.00 – 10.15 a.m. (West Indonesia Time).
Abidinsyah Siregar added “The Habit of Hand-washing with Soap especially in the five cities is targeted to increase on the average of 58% in year 2009. Such target is high as hand-washing with soap has yet to become a habit in the families. Though hand-washing with soap is proven 43-45% effective to lower the mortality rate caused by diarrhea, cholera, dysentery and other digestive infection-related illnesses, a survey on hand-washing with soap habits at five crucial times shows that it is very low: 12% after relieving, 9% after dipping up child, 14% before meals, 7% before feeding child, and only 6% before preparing for meals.”
Panji Pragiwaksono, a head of household, calls on all parents who always think of their children’s best developments. “Let’s make a habit of washing hands with soap first from the smallest scope: ourselves and our children. The step may be viewed too simple, but very effective to prevent illnesses from killing millions of children annually.”
“This cooperative national-scale action of Global Hand-washing Day is expected to garner wide supports and become a significant momentum to raise people’s awareness on the importance of hand-washing with soap as a cheap and proven effective step to maintain people’s health and children.” closes Erwin.
