According to a review in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in yr 2015, based on 22 randomized clinical trials in both, developed and under-developed countries, proper hand hygiene can reduce incidence of diarrheal diseases upto 30% among children and adults in day-care centres, schools, communities, or hospitals.

 

Diarrheal diseases are one of the common causes of malnutrition. They can also negatively affect a student's attendance in school. Hence we took up this project to promote hand hygiene awareness & good practice among children. 

 

The program has served several thousand kids till date. We have made it an integral component of every medical camp we conduct. In the past, we have also helped our twin clubs in Guyana, South Africa, Pakistan, USA & Brazil  to replicate this model for children in their community. To ensure sustainability, we rope in teachers/guardians.

 

Teachers are trained and instructed to revise key concepts of Hand Hygiene periodically (schedule is tailor-made for each site by us). The revision is meant to reiterate knowledge on appropriate Hand Hygiene. It has been incorporated in school extra-curriculum at several of our sites. The programme is still running, with persistent efforts to increase outreach..