Global Handwashing Day

Wash hands before meals

Global Handwashing Day is an annual event initiated by the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, of which Unilever Lifebuoy is a founding member.

Lifebuoy’s 2011 campaign, which encourages people to remember to wash their hands before eating, is being run through the mass media, digital channels and various organised activities.

For example, as part of Unilever’s new global partnerships strategy, the Lifebuoy brand is partnering with Population Services International (PSI), a leading global health organisation. Hygiene education is being conducted in schools, and a number of high-profile PSI ambassadors have publicly pledged their support, such as songwriter and actress Mandy Moore.

Watch the film and learn how you can make a difference.

Go to the Lifebuoy Facebook site to ‘pledge to save a life’. For each pledge received, Lifebuoy will bring hygiene education to one child, with the aim of reaching 1 million children. Or visit the PSI website and make a financial contribution which will help to provide children with the life-saving education they need to stay healthy.

Millions take part

In 2010 Lifebuoy brand teams co-ordinated efforts with more than 50 organisations in 19 countries. Millions of children took part in handwashing awareness-raising activities and were encouraged to make handwashing pledges.

Globally, 200 million people were involved in celebrations in over 100 countries around the world.

To help celebrate this year’s Global Handwashing Day, Unilever employees are also being encouraged to 'pledge to save a life'. “We would like all employees to be part of our company-wide movement around Global Handwashing Day,” says Dr Myriam Sidibe, Global Social Mission Director, Lifebuoy.

"With as many as possible pledging their hand to support the campaign, let’s see how together this small action multiplied by thousands of employees can make a big difference for children’s health."

Simple way to prevent disease

Every year up to 3.5 million children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday due to diarrhoea and pneumonia. Simple handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent these diseases, and could avoid up to a third of deaths.

This is why Lifebuoy, the world’s leading health soap brand, has made a commitment to change the hygiene behaviour of 1 billion people by 2015 by promoting the use of soap at key occasions, as part of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan.