Bosnians and Herzegovinians have the best hygiene habits, according to a recent Gallup poll on Global Handwashing Day, which is celebrated on October 15th.
As many as 96 percent of BiH’s residents wash their hands regularly, followed by Turks (94%). These high results undoubtedly refer to the Islamic process of washing hands (mouth, nostrils, hands, heads and feet) as a means of ritual purification, for example before prayer.
Other Balkan nations have also taken a high place – Kosovars are on par with the Greeks at 85%, followed by Romanians (84%), Serbs (83%) and residents of Northern Macedonia (82%).
They were joined by the Portuguese at the top of the list (85%). But who cares the least about hygiene? Surprise: it’s the Dutch. As this research shows, half of all Dutch people do not wash their hands with soap on their return from the bathroom.
Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to advocacting for handwashing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.
Global Handwashing Day was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership, and is an opportunity to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap at critical times. Global Handwashing Day is celebrated every year on October 15th.
The first Global Handwashing Day was held in 2008, when over 120 million children around the world washed their hands with soap in more than 70 countries.
Since 2008, community and national leaders have used Global Handwashing Day to spread the word about handwashing, build sinks and tippy taps, and demonstrate the simplicity and value of clean hands. Since then, Global Handwashing Day has continued to grow. Global Handwashing Day is endorsed by governments, schools, international institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies, individuals, and more.
The 2019 Global Handwashing Day theme is “Clean Hands for All.” This year’s theme follows the push to leave no one behind in the Sustainable Development Agenda. Inequalities in handwashing facilities and effective handwashing promotion programs can put individuals at higher risk for diseases that impact their health, education, and economic outcomes. This year’s theme reminds us that we must be inclusive when addressing handwashing disparities.
