DILI, 26 october 2026 (TATOLI) – The President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta, continues to promote proper hand washing in the country to prevent children from contracting communicable diseases.
Hundreds of children are gathered at the Presidential Palace, accompanied by their parents, to celebrate World Handwashing Day with the President of the Republic, Education Ministry and Unilever.
The celebration of World Handwashing Day aims to help improve hand hygiene behavior among children, which is important for preventing various communicable diseases.
Horta said improper hand hygiene and poor hand washing skills increase the risk of contracting not only TB but also hepatitis, etc, saying infections can spread by not washing hands: “That is why it is necessary to wash our hands often and properly.”
Studies found that about 80% of infectious diseases are transmitted by unclean hands touching contaminated surfaces: “Handwashing reduces the probability of diarrhea and the incidence of respiratory diseases.”
Horta urged parents to teach their children the right way to wash their hands: “As parents, you should always have soap for children to wash their hands before eating, etc.”
The Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus, said that it is important to implement hand washing in all schools to promote hand washing practices: “We need to continue washing our hands thoroughly and regularly, as we did during the COVID-19 period, to prevent communicable diseases.”
Representative of Unilever, Flavia da Costa said, said that proper handwashing behavior can protect every family from communicable diseases: “A simple act of proper hand washing can protect our families from dangerous communicable diseases.”
Global Handwashing Day 2023 is themed: “Clean hands are within reach:” The campaign says, “Through strong leadership and collective efforts, we can close gaps in access and practice to achieve hand hygiene for all. Everyone has a role to play to ensure clean hands are within reach.”
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
