Unilever marks Global Handwashing Day

Unilever Ghana Limited yesterday joined hands with the rest of the world to commemorate the 2015 Global Handwashing Day, an annual event aimed at drawing the attention of global citizens to the importance of effective and regular handwashing with antibacterial soap.

The company held a special ceremony at the Christ The King Church in Accra, where it brought together pupils from the Flagstaff House Basic School and the Christ The King International School to create awareness about the essence of effective and regular handwashing with antibacterial soaps.

A medical doctor was present at the occasion to educate the pupils on how to wash their hands effectively during the five key moments of the day.

Brand Building Director of Unilever Ghana Limited, Clarence Nartey, in a speech at the celebration, pointed out the importance of effective handwashing on a daily basis.

According to him, “Each year, more than 100 million children across the world are expected to celebrate their fifth birthday.”

However, citing World Health Organisation’s statistics, he stated that “sadly, diseases like cholera and diarrhoea mean more than 700,000 children won’t reach this fifth birthday celebration.”

But that notwithstanding, Mr Nartey indicated that “many of these deaths could be prevented by simple measures, including handwashing with soap.”

He stressed that “we need to do more to increase awareness and get more people across the world to practise handwashing with antibacterial soap and clean water.”

As part of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan, Mr Nartey underscored that the company through its Lifebuoy brand and partners was committed to reducing such deaths by constantly reminding consumers and Ghanaians on the need to wash their hands always.

Director of School Health, Ghana Education Service (GES), Kate Opoku, in a statement, highlighted that the Global Handwashing Day campaign celebrated on October 15 yearly has been observed for the past 10 years.