29 October 2013 - Aiming to increase awareness that hand-washing with soap can reduce the number of children dying from preventable diseases, Western Equatoria today commemorated Global Hand-washing Day in Yambio County.

The event (globally celebrated on 15 October) was organized by the Directorate of Water and Sanitation in the state Ministry of Physical Infrastructure with support from UNICEF.

Under the theme, “The power is your hands”, this year’s commemoration in Nambia Boma (area) emphasized that washing hands with soap was one of the most effective ways to lower highly preventable diarrhoeal diseases that kill 1,400 children under five globally every day.

Donating five cartons of soap to schools in Rangu Payam (district), state Minister of Health John Gbono noted that Western Equatoria had the highest child mortality rate in South Sudan.

“If you don’t (take care of) your hands, it can (cause) you to live or die,” he said. “Most diseases (spread through) bacteria or viruses (happen) because people don’t wash their hands (before eating) or after visiting the toilet.”

Director of Water and Sanitation Daniel Bando said his office had plans to organize similar events in other state locations that met qualifications of good hygiene and sanitation.

Rangu Payam representative in the state legislative assembly Esein Enock asked the government to dig more boreholes for the Nambi Boma community.

“Without water, people (cannot) wash their hands with soap,” he said.

According to UNICEF, diarrhoea remains the second largest cause of death in children under the age of five globally. Some 600,000 children die each year from diarrhoeal diseases caused by a lack of safe water, sanitation and basic hygiene out of a total of over 1.7 billion cases.

“Washing hands before eating and after defecation drastically reduces the spread of diarrohoeal disease and has far-reaching effects on the health and welfare of children and communities,” said UNICEF’s global head of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene progammes Sanjay Wijesekera in a message to mark the sixth-annual Global Hand-washing Day.

“The evidence is clear. Each individual – every mother, every child, every teacher, every member of every community – can contribute to the health of all by just washing their hands,” he added. “…. Everyone has this power – simply wet, lather and rinse – with soap and water.”