Practise good hand hygiene to keep bugs at bay

Public Health leaders in Blackburn with Darwen are using this year’s World Hand Hygiene Day (5 May) to remind children and their parents of the importance of handwashing to prevent illness.

In Blackburn with Darwen, the Council has shared learning resources with primary schools for teachers to talk about the benefits of handwashing to prevent illness with their pupils. An activity pack contains colouring sheets, puzzles and fun classroom activities to help young pupils learn how to wash their hands thoroughly and understand why it’s so important.

Abdul Razaq, Blackburn with Darwen’s Director of Public Health, said:

With Hand Hygiene Day occurring this week, it’s a timely reminder of the importance and effectiveness of something so simple – washing our hands.

Handwashing with soap is the most effective way to prevent the spread of viruses that can cause infections, including Covid. If they are not already, I would urge parents to help their children to get into a healthy habit of washing their hands regularly, particularly before meals, after using the toilet, and when arriving home.

The NHS website has a step-by-step guide to effective handwashing.

Parents can find some ideas on teaching their children about the importance of good hand hygiene on the WeAreTeachers website.