New Guinness record for washing hands

Women in the Eladuwa Estate, Matugama set a Guinness record by washing their hands to mark Global Hand Washing Day, eclipsing the record set by China. Six hundred and fifty women participated in the hand-washing campaign which was organised in line with the Global Hand-washing Day.

Chief Guest First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and other invitees.

Guinness Association Representative Jack Brock Bank officially announced the Guinness World Record at a ceremony held at Eladuwa estate.

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa graced the Global Hand-washing Day celebrations held at Eladuwa Estate. She also presented a Panchayuda to a child who was born during the last World Food Day.

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa ceremonially launched the Neo Natal program on October 16 at a ceremony held the same day.

A large number of schoolchildren from various parts of the Matugama Division were also present. Public Health Inspector in the Matugama region practically showed the schoolchildren how to wash their hands properly.

Unilever Sri Lanka Marketing Director Siddhartha Banerjee said that by people themselves being clean, many diseases can be prevented. Every year 3.1 children who are below five years die due to infection.

Schoolchildren who participated in the Global HandWashing Day celebrations Pic: Sarath Peiris

Guinness Association Representative, Jack Brock Bank presents the Guinness record to the Lifeboy team.

Infection can be avoided by washing hands three or four times per day. We hope to reach one billion people with the message of washing hands. Unilever targets eight million people by 2015.

Banarjee also paid gratitude to Sri Lankan Cricketer Kumar Sangakkara for campaigning for Global Hand Washing Day. Infant death rate has reduced to 8 per 1,000 births.

The Ministry of Health and Unilever Sri Lanka launched a groundbreaking behaviour change program to encourage hand-washing with soap in the estate sector of the country.

This behavioural change program is designed to reduce neonatal mortality within vulnerable communities by encouraging mothers to adopt the habit of washing hands with soap as a simple, effective, and affordable practice to prevent the risk of infections amongst newborns.

Schoolchildren wash their hands to mark Global Hand Washing Day

The program aims to reach a million Sri Lankan mothers, carrying the message of hand-washing with soap within the estate sector, to reduce the risk of newborns contracting preventable infections such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.

Director General Health, Dr. Palitha Mahipala, commenting on the program said, "The Government spends more on health sector development in comparison to other South Asian countries.

The health sector in Sri Lanka has improved rapidly due to the initiatives taken by the Ministry by way of public health program, health education, and investments in health equipment. Ensuring a healthy society is not only the Government's responsibility.

As responsible corporate citizens, the private sector can also make a big difference. In this context, we are happy to see the interest shown by Unilever in this public-private partnership."

-NJ