National Hand Washing Campaign Policy
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Date
2011-10-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Malawi Government
Abstract
The Government of Malawi through the Ministries of Health, and Agriculture Irrigation
and Water Development is implementing a sanitation and hygiene promotion
programme which is aimed at reducing water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases.
The hygiene promotion component is advancing three inter-related and inter-connected
domains: hand-washing with soap (HWWS); safe disposal of faeces; and safe storage
and use of drinking water. While research shows that any one of these domain can
reduce diarrhoeal disease in under the age of five by 32% to 45% (Curtis, et. Al.,
“Saving Lives”, 2004), research has also shown that advocating the use of a
combination of these domains increases the likelihood of behaviour change and
practices (EHP II, “Changing Hygiene Behaviours”, 2002)
However, the idea of the hand washing campaign is as a result of an assessment of
benefits of hand washing with soap in reducing various hygiene related diseases. Hand
washing with soap is among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent
diarrhoeal diseases and pneumonia, which together account for about 3.5 million child
deaths annually. Hand washing with soap also reduces the incidence of skin diseases;
eye infections such as trachoma; and intestinal worms, especially ascariasis and
trichuriasis and enteric viruses. Despite having all these success stories about hand
washing with soap, not much is being done in reinforcing the scaling up of this
intervention. Evidence of actual hand washing practice is scanty but studies in rural
areas suggest that the actual practice of HWWS at critical times is between 3 – 18% but
more likely on the low end of this scale. Currently, efforts to promote hygiene and hand
washing with soap in particular, have not been sufficient enough to bring about mass
behaviour change on the scale that is needed.
The proposal for the National Hand Washing Campaign has therefore been developed
with an aim of transforming the piecemeal and ad hoc efforts into a single well coordinated comprehensive intervention. The campaign will complement the global
efforts of promoting hand washing with soap whereby Global Hand Washing Day
(GHWD) was already declared on every 15th October. The campaign will assist to
transform hand washing practice from being a single day’s activity into a routine, all year
round behaviour thereby forming people’s habits. The campaign is in line with the
national goal of ensuring that all people in Malawi practice safe hygiene as outlined in
the Health Sector Strategic Plan (2011 – 2016) and the National Sanitation Policy.
The development of the proposal was rigorous, involving all relevant stakeholders and
structures that oversee implementation of hygiene promotion activities. These include
the National Sanitation and Hygiene Coordinating Committee, technical working group
on sanitation and hygiene and government & Non Governmental Organizations through
a consultative workshop.
The proposal is therefore being presented to development partners and donors for the
purpose of soliciting funds and other contributions towards implementing the proposed 3
activities that have been planned to run for one full year with an objective of
accelerating the adoption of hand washing with soap behaviour in Malawi especially
among the vulnerable groups (the poor, mothers & caregivers, and young children).
Description
Keywords
Preventive Health Services