Way Forward

Hand-hygiene must not be viewed as a temporary provision to manage COVID-19 but as an important public health need, with direct implications on economic resilience. There is therefore need for sustainable long-term investment in providing easy access to hand hygiene, in order to prevent the next pandemic from materializing.

The latest joint UNICEF and WHO report identifies five accelerators that can enable governments to rapidly scale up access to hand hygiene. These are good governance, smart public finance, capacity building, consistent data and innovation

Handwashing with soap and water appears simple enough, but it is lifesaving. It protects us from many diseases including cholera. Everyone has a duty to come together to make handwashing not only easily accessible but also a habit adopted by all, as this will have a tremendous impact in the health and well being of the entire population.