Celebration of World Handwashing Day by Lifebuoy
klinikfarma.com The United Nations (UN) commemorates Global Handwashing Day to raise awareness of the importance of handwashing habits. Welcoming this celebration, Lifebuoy, a leading brand in personal care products, has organized a fun educational event at Cilandak Town Square on October 14-15, 2023.
This event is supported by the Ministry of Health and is part of the SIAGA (SIAP Amankan KeluargaGA) campaign, which aims to protect, educate, and help Indonesian families avoid the risk of disease.
Wash Your Hands with Soap at 5 Important Moments
One of the main focuses of the Lifebuoy event is to spread education about Handwashing with Soap (CTPS) at 5 important moments. These moments are before eating, after playing, after coughing or sneezing, after using the toilet, and after traveling. Lifebuoy tries to teach this handwashing habit creatively and fun to children, through play.
Erfan Hidayat, Head of Skin Cleansing Unilever Indonesia, stated that Lifebuoy has long been committed to helping parents maintain their children’s health. Washing hands with soap is a small but very important step.
However, data shows that only 50% of Indonesians over the age of 10 perform CTPS at 5 important moments. With the commemoration of Global Handwashing Day every year, there are still many opportunities to remind the public of the importance of CTPS.
The Importance of CTPS Post Pandemic
Lifebuoy also highlighted the decline in CTPS habits after the Covid-19 pandemic. This has led to an increase in infectious disease infections, especially in children. Prof. Dr. dr. Hinky Hindra Irawan Satari, an expert in pediatric infectious and tropical diseases, explained that prevention is always easier and cheaper than treatment.
In the last three years, there has been an increase in cases of respiratory and digestive tract infections, due to negligence in maintaining cleanliness. In this context, CTPS is the first step to protect yourself from the threat of infectious diseases, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Play for Learning and Health
Child and family psychologist, Irma Gustiani Andriani, explains that playing can support optimal child development, both physically and socially-emotionally. By integrating handwashing habits with play, children become more relaxed and are able to learn better.
It is important for parents to supervise their children while playing, especially when it involves electronic devices. However, using play as a learning method is an effective way to instill good habits from an early age.
