Hundreds of primary pupils and high school students in Wau town in Western Bahr al Ghazal State on Thursday marked the annual World Handwashing Day by washing their hands with soap and clean water. 

The day was held under the theme “Raise Clean Hands and Push Cholera out of South Sudan”.

Regina Gabriel Gok, Director of Public Health at the State Ministry of Health, explained five important steps in handwashing in order to avoid watery diarrhea and cholera diseases.

She said the day reminds communities through pupils and students about the importance of hygiene for a bright future of a country free from diseases.

Global Handwashing Day is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an easy way to prevent diseases.

UNICEF reported yesterday that so far this year, 1,815 cases of cholera have been reported in South Sudan with 47 deaths, but recently the number of cases have declined dramatically, with no new confirmed cases of cholera reported in the past two weeks.

Photo: Children at an advocacy event for handwashing held in Juba (UNICEF South Sudan/Adriane Ohanesian)