18 October 2011 – As a means of boosting awareness about hygiene, Global Handwashing Day was celebrated in Warrap State at Kuajok Boys Primary School.

Martin Kuot Madut, acting head teacher at the school, said that sanitation and hygiene were important in ensuring a healthy physical learning environment, increasing attendance and improving learning in schools.

"This is the third time that Warrap State is celebrating this important worldwide event," said UNICEF Programme Coordinator Lexson Mabrouk. "The purpose is to create awareness among the governments, communities and in particular the children of the entire world."

Global Handwashing Day echoes and reinforces the call for improved hygiene practices worldwide.

"It's very important to raise awareness, in particular in school, because children are our ambassadors and, of course, they are future parents too, said Sabino Makana Akol from the Ministry of Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development (MoCRD).

He added that school going children had also been sensitized about the importance of using pit latrines and that they had responded well.

Waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea are prevalent in Warrap State.

According to the World Health Organization, 361 cases of acute watery diarrhoea and 48 cases of bloody diarrhoea were reported from health facilities in Twic and Agok counties in June.

"Global Handwashing Day (mobilizes) millions of people around the world, including in our new nation, in a local and global culture of hand washing with soap," said Ephrain Modi, of the MoCRD Directorate of Water and Sanitation. "Cleans hands can save lives."

Stressing that washing hands was important, UNMISS State Coordinator Fergus Boyle urged the community and people of South Sudan at large to use this simple measure in preventing diseases.