Celebrate National Handwashing Awareness Week

December 4, 2009 – National Handwashing Awareness Week, an event sponsored by Henry the Hand Foundation, is December 6 – 12, 2009.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), handwashing is the single most important means to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, such as the seasonal flu - which the CDC estimates kills 36,000 people each year - as well as other infections such as foodborne illnesses.   

The CDC estimates that nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold and 52.2 million cases of the common cold affect Americans under age 17 each year.  In addition, the nation is currently facing the H1N1 epidemic, which has been largely affecting the student population. Moreover, in 1999 the U.S. Department of Education gathered that 1/5 of the U.S. population attends or works in schools.  Therefore, addressing the spread of germs in schools is essential to the health of youth, schools and the nation. 

Nevertheless, a survey conducted in November of 2006 by NSF International revealed that elementary school kids are more likely to do homework than use hand soap when washing their hands, even though nearly all teachers talk to their students about handwashing.  Doing homework is indeed a victory, but it is also very important for kids to not be sick or absent from school.  And proper handwashing is an effective, yet easy way of preventing kids from getting infectious diseases. 

National Handwashing Awareness Week presents a great opportunity for schools to reflect and act on the importance of having hands clean.  The event’s main objective is to decrease the spread of infectious diseases by empowering individuals to educate and help protect their communities.  Henry the Hand’s four principles of hand awareness include: 1) Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating; 2) Do not cough into your hands; 3) Do not sneeze into your hands; and 4) Do not put your fingers in your eyes, nose or mouth. 

According to the CDC, hands should be rubbed vigorously and all surfaces should be scrubbed for 20 seconds with clean warm water and soap as if one were singing “Happy Birthday” all the way through twice.  Hands should be rinsed well and dried using a paper towel or air dryer.  If possible, the paper towel should be used to turn off the faucet.  The CDC also states that, if soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based wipe or hand gel can be used. 

There are several resources available to help schools better educate their students on the importance of handwashing.  The School Network for Absenteeism Prevention (SNAP) website, for instance, offers a free educational poster and toolkit that help incorporate clean-hands education into middle school curricula; foster teamwork; and provide new ideas that support national education standards. Over the last seven years, through SNAP, 21 schools have earned national recognition for their efforts to keep students’ hands clean, and cash awards have totaled over $29,000.

To participate in the national recognition awards program, click here.  To learn more about National Handwashing Awareness Week, click here.