Health Department urges young people to wash hands

BANGKOK, Oct 15 (TNA) - The Department of Health encourages young people to properly wash hands to prevent gastrointestinal infection, on the occasion of the Global Handwashing Day. Dr Danai Theewanda, deputy director-general of the department, said that the United Nations set the Global Handwashing Day on October 15 to encourage people and especially young people worldwide to properly wash their hands with water and soap regularly to protect themselves from diseases. In Thailand, students are the target group for the campaign because they love to play with toys and touch objects around them. They are advised to wash their hands before every meal and after going to a toilet, playing with a pet and returning home. The Department of Health conducted a survey on 4,745 students aged 10 and 4,745 students aged 12 last year. It found that 53.1% of students aged 10 and 45.4% of respondents aged 12 washed their hands with soap before eating. (TNA)