2017 in Review: The GHP’s top ten moments
January 9, 2018
The GHP’s final SoapBox newsletter of 2017 focused on our favorite achievements in 2017. In many ways, 2017 was an exciting year for the GHP: we launched a new name and strategy, welcomed new members, explored new and innovative ideas in handwashing, and led hygiene advocacy. Our members and partners developed programs, conducted research, and designed products to make handwashing with soap a reality for all.
In January 2017, the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing became the Global Handwashing Partnership. In addition to the new name and logo, we launched a three-year strategic plan focused on advocacy and knowledge leadership for handwashing with soap. Read more about our strategy here.
In September, we hosted a webinar that focused on innovative approaches to handwashing behavior change. This webinar gave participants ideas and perspectives on how to use conscious and unconscious drivers to promote handwashing behavior change. Our FAQ Briefing & infographic answer some frequently asked questions about nudges, and provide examples of how they have been used in efforts to increase handwashing. Visit our resource library and Key Topics page to learn more about drivers for handwashing behavior change.
Handwashing with soap contributes to SDGs in WASH, health, nutrition, and more. Our SDGs Advocacy Brief and this post, Hygiene Matters in the Sustainable Development Goals, are two examples of how the GHP worked to highlight the role of handwashing in the SDGs this year.
In October, our partners came together at the UNC Water & Health Conference to discuss the role of research to drive change and how formative research has been used for program design, advocacy, and policy. Learn more about the session’s key takeaways here!
Our webinar, WASH Counts with Healthcare Facilities, with experts from WHO, USAID’s Maternal & Child Survival Program, Medentech, and PSI-Benin/ABMS, commemorated Hand Hygiene Day in May by presenting examples of approaches to improve hygiene in healthcare settings. Our accompanying fact sheet explores the healthcare-related risks of poor hygiene with recommendations for improving quality of care through proper hygiene compliance.
For 2017’s Global Handwashing Day, the GHP updated our Planner’s Guide and Social Media toolkit to include even more digital content, an emphasis on integration, and update research on handwashing with soap. Our interactive quiz, Facebook Live events, and other materials
helped planners lead Global Handwashing Day celebrations around the world. Learn more at www.GlobalHandwashingDay.org.
In 2017, millions of people in more than 100 countries celebrated Global Handwashing Day! Celebrants promoted the importance of handwashing with soap by sharing our celebration materials, hosting events, and running campaigns like UNICEF’s multi country celebrations (watch video of one of its events in South Sudan) and Unilever’s #High5forHandwashing campaign. Visit our interactive map to learn how they and many others celebrated in 2017.
In May, Carolyn Moore joined the Global Handwashing Partnership as its Secretariat Director, leading the partnership’s team and strategy. We also welcomed six new members this year: Action Against Hunger, Essity, Medentech, SoaPen, Splash, and SpaTap. Is your organization ready to join the GHP? Learn how here!
GHP partners released some important resources in 2017, including:
- UNICEF & WHO Joint Monitoring Program Report, Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation & Hygiene: 2017 update and SDG baselines
- USAID Water Office Global Waters knowledge resource (read our blog post!)
- Maternal & Child Survival Program’s WASH in healthcare facilities microsite
- DefeatDD’s State of the Field report: Stop the Cycle of Diarrheal Disease
- FHI 360’s Essential WASH Actions training pack
- 3ie/WSSCC’s 10th systematic review summary: Promoting handwashing and sanitation behaviour change in low-and middle-income countries
Visit the Resources page on our website for even more new handwashing resources.
Handwashing advocacy matters all year, not only on Global Handwashing Day. The GHP and our partners are following these steps to promote handwashing with soap beyond Global Handwashing Day, and we hope you will too! Learn more about continuing the momentum beyond Global Handwashing Day here.