As part of its ongoing commitment to protecting public health and promoting preventive measures to curb the spread of diseases and infections, the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has launched a comprehensive awareness campaign in celebration of World Hand Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 5. The campaign is held under the slogan: “It Might Be Gloves. It Is Always Hand Hygiene,” and is being implemented by PHCC’s School Health Services and Programs Department from May 5 to 8, 2025.

The campaign aims to raise public awareness about the importance of hand hygiene and to highlight its crucial role in disease prevention. This was achieved through the delivery of clear and comprehensive information across all public schools, targeting students, parents, and school staff. The awareness efforts covered several key topics, including an introduction to World Hand Hygiene Day, the importance of handwashing, the appropriate times to wash hands, the correct steps for handwashing, common areas where germs accumulate, and the proper use of sanitizers.

School Health teams played a vital role in the campaign’s success, carrying out awareness activities across all public schools and kindergartens. The goal was to instill handwashing as a daily health habit beginning in childhood, thereby turning theoretical awareness into practical behavior. Children were educated on the importance of washing hands before and after meals, after playing, after using the restroom, and after touching dirty items or pets.

The campaign also included a series of recurring educational lectures and the distribution of visually engaging informational brochures highlighting the importance of personal hygiene. In addition, periodic SMS messages containing simplified health tips were sent by school administrations to parents and teachers. School Health teams were further encouraged to conduct creative and interactive activities tailored to various age groups to ensure health messages were delivered effectively and appropriately.

This campaign is part of PHCC’s ongoing efforts to foster a culture of prevention and disseminate scientifically based health knowledge.

PHCC emphasized that celebrating World Hand Hygiene Day marked a significant milestone in its awareness strategy and called on all members of the community—including parents, teachers, and healthcare providers—to continue supporting such initiatives and to reinforce handwashing as a consistent daily habit that contributes to protecting both individual and public health.