The USAID supported Smiling Sun Franchise Program (SSFP) on October 15, 2009 launched a countrywide awareness campaign with Dettol, which is the largest health and hygiene brand in the world, on the importance of hand washing, as an effective mean of disease prevention. This campaign will continue throughout the following months.

Smiling Sun Franchise Program (SSFP) launched the program at the Smiling Sun Clinic in Tongi with representatives from Reckitt Benckiser Limited (Bangladesh) Limited. Reckitt Benckiser has distributed 7,500 Dettol soap along with other promotional materials such as posters and festoons to give out messages on the importance of hand washing so that mothers and their children can prevent diseases. Community Service Providers (CSPs) of the Smiling Sun Clinics will demonstrate the techniques and benefits of proper hand washing to an estimated 150,000 people in one week. SSFP has also undertaken a number of promotional programs including hanging of posters, banners with behavior change messages in each clinic, distribution of leaflets, video screening, miking and school awareness programs.

The guiding vision of Global Hand-washing Day is to develop a local and global culture of hand-washing with soap. Although people around the world wash their hands with water, the importance and purpose of using soap needs to emphasized. More hand-washing with soap means lower rates of infectious diseases. So this year’s theme is Clean Hands Save Lives!

The USAID supported Smiling Sun Franchise Program (SSFP) with two of its partnering organizations – CWFD and SWANIRVAR agreed with Reckitt Benckiser (Bangladesh) Limited to implement a pilot program through 13 Smiling Sun Clinics in Tangail. This pilot is based on the role of the Community Service Providers going door to door, to promote hand-washing with soap in order to reduce and or eliminate spread of infection.

Smiling Sun Franchise Program (SSFP), the largest social franchise network, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing healthcare services to women, children and youth through 320 Smiling Sun Clinics and over 8,500 satellite sites in 61 districts of Bangladesh.