Good handwashing habits for good health in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Butembo is a bustling city of around a million people in North Kivu Province in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and in a region known for growing tea and coffee. Since August 2018, it is also a region known worldwide for an outbreak of Ebola virus disease, the tenth and largest such outbreak in the country’s history.

The DRC also suffers from periodic outbreaks of other communicable diseases, including measles, yellow fever and cholera. Stopping these epidemics begins with infection prevention and control. And the first step is simple: handwashing.

Because of the highly contagious nature of Ebola, the World Health Organization and other partner organizations helping the Government tackle the epidemic from many levels, including supporting campaigns promoting a culture of handwashing and other hygienic practices. Children at the Katsya School in Butembo recently participated in a special awareness campaign to instil in them the importance of good hygiene.

Through song and dance, the children of the Katsya School learned how good habits can help protect good health and help them to protect themselves and their families from Ebola. The children were encouraged to practise good handwashing habits at school and at home while passing on the lessons to their families.

There have been 285 confirmed cases of Ebola in Butembo in the past year. To impress on the children the need for good habits that can help prevent the spread of the disease, the handwashing awareness campaign made clear the link with Ebola. Talking openly about the facts on Ebola also helps reduce stigma around the disease.

To learn the potentially life-saving messages about handwashing, the students learned such chants as “Ebola! Pas chez moi!” (Ebola! Not in my house!) and “Ebola! Pas dans mon école!” (Ebola! Not in my school!).

Handwashing habits, says Soeur Jacqueline, headmistress, goes beyond Ebola and also helps protect children from other communicable diseases. “We have learned that…washing your hands will eliminate all sorts of diseases, not just Ebola. Because we are responsible for these students, it is very important that we keep an eye on their health.”