5 May 2017 – The WHO country office in Egypt organized a social event to celebrate Hand Hygiene Day on 5 May 2017. The event was organized in coordination with Ministries of Health and Population, Youth and Education under the auspices of H E the Minister of Health and Population, Egypt.
The main event was conducted at Al-Asmarrat neighbourhood in Cairo; concurrently similar activities took place in 5 other selected governorates – Alexandria, Menofyia, Ismailia, Fayoum and Minya.
More than 500 people, mainly children aged between 10 and 15 years old attended the event, in addition to representatives from civil society organizations and coordinating ministries.
The main theme of the event was in line with the global theme, “Fight antibiotic resistance … it’s in your hands”. A modified slogan “Wash your hands to protect yourself and others around you” was adapted to suit the local culture and community.
Participants were provided with educational materials, including flyers and posters about the importance of hand hygiene. Also, 7 television spots addressing hand hygiene and antimicrobial resistance were broadcast during the event. Participants wore campaign T-shirts and caps displaying the campaign slogan. At the end of the day a live educational musical show on hand hygiene was performed by a charity centre for orphans from the community.