Global Handwashing Day was celebrated on Tuesday in Madhya Pradesh by all schools of the State. The celebration was led by Rajya Shiksha Kendra and supported by Panchayat and Rural Development department, Government of Madhya Pradesh.
During the celebration different hygienic promotional activities were carried out in school to sensitise the children, teachers and community members about the importance of hand washing with soap before eating and after defecation.
In addition, SMS alerts were sent to all headmasters of all schools in the State of Madhya Pradesh.
At an event organised in Primary and Upper Primary schools of Teelakhedi in Bhopal various functionaries of Rajya Shiksha Kendra and UNICEF were present. Ramakant Tiwari, right to education, coordinator, Rajya Shiksha Kendra, Bhopal, Ravindra Jain, Block Resource Coordinator (RSK), Block, Fanda, Rural, Nitu, Incharge, Primary School, Teelakhedi, Sharda Katariya, Headmistress, Upper Primary School, Teelakhedi and Nagendra Prasad Singh WASH Officer UNICEF Office for Madhya Pradesh were present and interacted with children of the school and shared the importance of handwashing with soap.
A review of several studies shows that handwashing in institutions such as primary schools and daycare centres reduce the incidence of diarrhoea by an average of 30 per cent. However, these facts are not well known to most of the children and teachers which result preventable death among under five children in India.
To bring awareness among the school children, the change agents, on importance of handwashing with soap before eating and after defecation, Government of Madhya Pradesh has celebrated GHD in all schools of Madhya Pradesh. The key activities includes debate and drawing completion in schools on hygiene, organizing mass hand washing with soap activities in school before mid-day meal, provision of group hand washing facility in schools, provision of soap for hand washing and reporting through SMS based system to RSK/PRD on number of children participated and washed their hand with soap.