Essity Launches Handwashing Works!, A Free Hand Hygiene Education Program For Elementary Schools Nationwide

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Essity, a leading global hygiene and health company with North American headquarters in Philadelphia, announced today the launch of its Handwashing Works! hand hygiene education program. Handwashing Works! is a resource for PreK through 2^nd grade educators to use when delivering handwashing education in their schools. They can order a free instruction kit, which includes a lesson plan and materials for in-class activities. Students learn the five steps to follow for effective handwashing and when they should wash their hands.

The goal of Handwashing Works! is to help establish and reinforce proper handwashing habits among young children, which will in turn work to decrease the spread of germs throughout schools and in the home. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated, the 2017-18 flu season was the worst since 2009. Being prepared for 2018-19 flu season to keep children healthy and in school is more critical than ever, and proper handwashing is an important component of this.

Free Handwashing Kits Available to Schools
School administrators and teachers throughout the country can download their free Handwashing Works! kits online beginning today, Global Handwashing Day, at http://www.handwashingworks.com. The Handwashing Works! kits include a helpful lesson plan for teachers and colorful materials reinforcing the five handwashing steps for posting in classrooms. Students will engage in activities featuring playful characters and receive a take-home certificate.

Also included is an activity using an ultraviolet flashlight, which detects glow-in-the-dark lotion (representing germs). Children rub lotion onto their hands, then hold them under the black light to reveal the pretend germs, wash their hands with soap, dry their hands with a paper towel and then put their hands back under the light to see if they have removed all of the germs. Teachers can submit a request for a free flashlight and lotion. (Offer is good while supplies last).

According to Amy Bellcourt, Vice President of Communications at Essity, "It's never too early for kids to learn how to wash their hands properly. It can keep them healthier – which impacts the health of their families and classmates. Essity's Handwashing Works! program was proven successful when tested in a sample of Philadelphia schools earlier this year. On Global Handwashing Day today, we are very excited to expand it across the country," said Bellcourt. "We believe that clean hands keep kids in class!"

Handwashing Works! Study Reveals Positive Results
Handwashing Works! was successfully piloted January – April 2018 in two PreK schools in the School District of Philadelphia. The pilot also included an evaluation to measure the impact of hand hygiene education on student behavior. Conducted by a team from Temple University's College of Public Health, the study findings revealed that nearly 45% of the students participating in the study increased the quality of their handwashing. Temple evaluators observed students and scoring was applied to each child's handwashing activity (following handwashing steps in order, scrubbing their hands for 20 seconds, drying their hands) over a period of time. 

Deirdre Dingman, DRPH, MPH, CHES, Temple University College of Public Health and principal investigator for the hand hygiene education study, noted that, "The results of our study show that handwashing education makes a difference among young children. The increase in quality of handwashing among nearly 1 in 2 students was a very good result, and we saw that hand washing behavior changed after the educational activities."

Survey Data Supports the Need for Proper Hand Hygiene Skills, Knowledge
The Essentials Initiative Survey, conducted by Essity in 2018, uncovered findings that reveal parents are concerned about their children's hygiene. In fact, 43% of American parents surveyed worry their child might become ill due to poor hygiene. Additionally, 4 in 10 American parents have kept their children away from social activities (after school activities, play dates or public spaces) due to hygiene worries.

According to Carolyn Moore, MPH, Secretariat Director, Global Handwashing Partnership, "Research shows that proper handwashing habits keep children healthy, and help them learn and grow. Everyone has a role to play to teach good hygiene practices, and we encourage every school to make handwashing a priority. The Handwashing Works materials make it fun and easy to get started!"

About Essity
Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company dedicated to improving well-being through our products and solutions, essentials for everyday life. The name Essity stems from the words essentials and necessities. Our sustainable business model creates value for people and nature. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as Jobst, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, Vinda and Zewa. Essity has about 48,000 employees and net sales in 2017 amounted to approximately $12.8 billion. The headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. More information at www.essity.com.

Essity has approximately 200 employees in Philadelphia at its North American headquarters at the Cira Centre. In addition to Pennsylvania, Essity has U.S. operations in in Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, Ohio, New York and Wisconsin.

SOURCE Essity

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