Development
Pakistan sets Guninese Record on World Handwashing Day
Karachi, October 14: Dettol Pakistan celebrated Global Handwashing Day 2016 by setting a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Most participants in a handwashing relay. The event was held at Metro Cash & Carry in Gulshan e Iqbal, where 1636 students from various local schools participated enthusiastically and in doing so broke the record of 1410 hand washes previously held by a town in India (2015).
Speaking about the activity, Shahzeb Mehmood, CEO RB Pakistan stated, “Every year, Pakistan loses approximately 53,000 children to diarrhoea – a disease that is preventable through the simple act of hand washing. With over 1600 students taking part in the hand washing relay today, we hope to take this message across Pakistan and instill the habit of washing hands among children. Dettol is committed to saving these lives and with the support of the government, NGOs, schools and each and every citizen of Pakistan; we can be successful in this endeavor.”
Global authority on record-breaking, Guinness World Records adjudicator Seyda Subasi-Gemici said on the occasion, “We congratulate Dettol Pakistan on their new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title. To engage so many people in such a fantastic event is a truly impressive achievement.”
As an integral part of its philosophy of promoting good hand hygiene habits, Dettol Pakistan reaches out to millions of children & their mothers annually through its successful school program to educate them about the importance of hand washing. In line with this mission, Dettol Pakistan gathered school children to educate them on the correct procedure of hand washing and set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS titlefor Most participants in a handwashing relay in doing so.
Celebrity mothers Nadia Hussain, SarwatGilani and Momal Sheikh, who were present at the activity with their children, appreciated Dettol’s efforts. Marking the occasion, SarwatGillani said, “Globally 1 child dies of diarrhoea every minute. This is a disease that can be fought by the simple act of hand washing. Today Dettol is teaching children the importance of washing hands properly and its benefits. I am here to support this great cause because there is nothing more important than saving these innocent lives”.
Dettol, the world’s leading germ protection brand has always strived to protect families by enabling better hygiene habits. In keeping with this legacy, Dettol used the platform of Global Handwashing Day to promote good hand hygiene practices, since one’s hands are the first point of contact with any surface and hence most vulnerable to germs.
On the same day, The Express Tribune published a story highlighting that 10,000 schools across Sind are operating without lavatories and clean drinking water. The children have to go to defecate in the bushes or in hidden crevices of the school building which created poor sanitary conditions and is bad for the self esteem of the children.
Why do MNC companies not take it upon themselves to provide clean water and lavatories for such schools as opposed to running high visibility so called CRS initiates such as a hand washing campaign involving elitist schools just to enter the Guinness Book??