ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The power is in your hands was the theme of Global Handwashing Day on Saturday.

An event in this regard was held in a hospital to give awareness to children that regular handwashing with soap is necessary to defeat harmful infectious diseases.

Handwashing is the cheapest vaccine to prevent infections was the crux of the whole campaign.

Doctors, school children, their parents, teachers and residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi attended the event.

Consultant Pediatrician and Infectious Diseases Dr Ejaz Ahmed Khan said handwashing with soap before and after preparing, eating food, treating wounds, coughing, blowing or cleaning nose, and treating or caring sick was very important.

“It is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal, intestinal worm infections and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children around the globe,” he said.

“Handwashing with soap is an affordable and accessible vaccine that prevents infections,” he stated.

Puppet show, painting competition, poem competition and various games were organised to promote the habit of handwashing with soap among children. Gifts and prizes were given to the winners and the participants.

Dr. Ejaz stressed on the need to wash hands with soap particularly after using toilet as if it’s not done, it can cause diarrheal infections. Toilet waste can cause typhoid, cholera, all other common widespread gastro-enteric infections and some respiratory infections such as influenza and pneumonia.

According to different researches, he said, washing hands with soap could significantly cut the risk of diarrhea from 30 per cent to 50 per cent, and that of respiratory tract infection from 21 per cent to 45 per cent.

UNICEF’s evaluations show that diarrhea kills one child every 30 seconds. A study in Pakistan found that handwashing with soap reduces the number of pneumonia-related infections in children under five by more than 50 per cent, as well as skin infection by 34 per cent.

“Handwashing could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention,” Dr Ejaz said.

Hanzala Shahid, student of class II while talking to Dawn said that he has already learnt a lot about handwashing by watching television.

“I enjoyed puppet show very much. Poems sung by students were also very good and I had fun during the event,” he said.