In order to promote good hand washing habits, Taiwan CDC and relevant enterprises that could help effectively raise public awareness of handwashing with soap as a key approach to disease prevention, including chain restaurants, hyper-markets, grocery shops, department stores, hotels, the Taiwan Railway and CPC Corp., worked together to launch the new hand washing movement, “Washing Hands with Soap; Drying after Washing” on October 15, 2011. On the same day, a popular hyper-market chain and a famous pizza chain mobilized thousands of employees to promote this event at their shops and while making delivery. In addition, hygiene-related corporations donated soaps to schools in remote districts and a famous financial holding company also participated in this event.

The practice of handwashing with soap tops the international hygiene agenda on October 15, with the celebration of Global Handwashing Day. Since its inception in 2008 – which was designated as the International Year of Sanitation by the UN General Assembly – Global Handwashing Day has been echoing and reinforcing the call for improved hygiene practices worldwide.Washing hand by soap has been regarded as the most effective and economical way of epidemic prevention. Taiwan CDC stresses that using soap to wash hand can reduce the possibility of suffering from diarrhea and can prevent intestinal and respiratory infections effectively. Furthermore, Taiwan CDC adds that hands became dirtier if people do not dry their hands after washing them as a result of bacterial contamination. This year, Taiwan CDC is promoting the “Washing Hands with Soap; Drying after Washing” movement with enterprises to increase public awareness of handwashing with soap as a key approach to disease prevention.

Among the participating enterprises, the famous pizza chain recognizes the importance of handwashing in food hygiene. Therefore, they organized a special event on the Global Handwashing Day. The consumers who repeated the slogan of “Washing Hands with Soap; Drying after Washing” when they visited the stores could get a free drink while dining in the restaurant. The popular hyper-market chain also asked their staffs to be “hand washing ambassadors” promoting hand washing at the counter in their shops.

Moreover, hygiene-related enterprises jointed this event because of their commitment to social responsibility and donated hand washing supplies such as paper towels and soap to schools in the remote districts. On the other hand, other enterprises that work with Taiwan CDC in promoting this movement have also donated hand washing sets comprising a soap and a handkerchief to schools in an attempt to promote good hand washing habits among schoolchildren.

Taiwan CDC hopes that more private corporations can participate in the promotion of this movement in order to promote handwashing as a way to prevent diseases as this event is not only beneficial for their employees and customers, but also good for them in terms of improving corporate social responsibility. Taiwan CDC emphasizes that washing hands correctly should be a long-term habit as an approach to disease prevention.