Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has launched an awareness campaign on the importance of washing hands and personal hygiene, targeting food handlers. The inspectors of the Authority visited 110 food establishments of various types under the slogan 'campaigns without punishment' to disseminate food safety messages.

The campaign was part of the Authority's involvement in observing the Global Hand Washing Day. The visits by the inspectors did not involve any punitive measures; they just tried to spread awareness about the importance of personal hygiene and washing hands.

Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, Director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA said the campaign also included print and audio-visual ads in the media, besides large numbers of awareness publications distributed in shopping centers and educational institutions.

"Washing hands with water and soap is one of the basic steps essential to prevent diseases such as diarrhea, various respiratory infections and others. We are focusing special attention on school pupils through animation and cartoon programs such as 'Zaduna', a part of which was devoted to washing hands and personal hygiene. World Health Organization has confirmed that washing hands properly can reduce child mortality substantially in the world," he pointed out.