The Department of Health on Tuesday encouraged the public to observe proper handwashing to prevent diseases and save lives especially in vulnerable communities.

The DOH has included water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) as one of its eight priority health outcomes with the goal to increase the percentage of population with access to clean water, from 88 percent to 100 percent.

The agency urged local leaders to invest and prioritize hand hygiene, infrastructure and supplies to improve sanitation and hygiene in communities.

“Local leaders who prioritize access to clean and safe water for everyone in their communities make clean hands the first line of defense against disease,” DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in a news release.

“In our communities especially those affected by floods or where access to clean water is a challenge, handwashing with soap saves lives,” he added.

To support the WASH in Schools program of the Department of Education, the DOH provided schools technical and financial assistance for maintenance and repair of toilets and other water facilities; implementation of handwashing in toilets and handwashing facilities; installation of group handwashing facilities; and daily handwashing drills in schools.

The DOH is also involved in crafting and refining of the Global Guidelines for Hand Hygiene in Community Settings, an initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nation’s International Children’s Emergency Fund.

WHO Representative to the Philippines Rui Paulo said hand hygiene is essential in achieving Universal Health Care.

“By prioritizing infection prevention and control, especially through effective hand hygiene, we can significantly enhance quality care and patient safety, ultimately ensuring better health for all,” he said.

According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, clean hands reduce the transmission of diarrhea diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and gastroenteritis by 30 percent.

They also reduce respiratory infections such as colds, flu, Covid-19 and tuberculosis by 20 percent.

Mpox and infection from salmonella and soil-transmitted parasites and worms are prevented by proper handwashing as well.

The DOH and the WHO join nations in celebrating Global Handwashing Day, observed annually every Oct. 15. (PNA)