The Hand Washing Campaign was created to socialize about healthy lifestyle practices. One of the easiest practices is washing your hands with soap to minimize the risk of diseases such as diarrhea, avian influenza, worm infection, upper respiratory infections, lung diseases, etc. The campaign was also made to celebrate “World Hand Washing Day” which was initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) on October 15 of every year. This year was selected because 2008 was declared as “Sanitation Year”.

The campaign was motored by the Indonesian Veterinary Student Association (IMAKAHI) in collaboration with the Directorate General of Higher Education (DIKTI) and Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS). It was carried out at Babakan 5 Dramaga Elementary School. The school was selected because it had no specific facility for hand washing activities. This was the first campaign conducted by students from the Indonesian Veterinary Student Association to promote hand washing practices to the general public.

The campaign itself comprises of extensions and hands-on practice by teachers and students of Babakan 5 Dramaga Elementary School. In total, 300 students were involved. Extension materials include the benefit of washing your hands and how to do it. Also included were knowledge of animal diseases that could transmit to humans, such as rabies and avian influenza. Games and quizzes on general animal knowledge were also played. The activities were then followed by hand-outs of book markers, stickers, and leaflets containing information about rabies and snacks and sterilized milk for all students. The entire campaign was managed by 23 veterinary students and 2 people from CIVAS.

Despite light rain during the campaign, students from Babakan 5 Dramaga Elementary School were very enthusiastic about the campaign. It was clear from the long line of students queuing to practice washing their hands. Hands should be washed before and after meals, after we go to the toilet, after handling animals, and after playing activities. Steps in washing hands are scrubbing your palm, fingers, thumbs, the back of your hands, and wrists using soap for 20 seconds, then wash away with running water.