THE Pan American Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) has launched the #TouchingLives international school talent contest, which invites students from throughout the Americas to submit creative work that promotes handwashing, one of the most effective and low-cost measures for preventing disease and illness.

Registration for the contest will be open through September 14, 2013.

Submissions may include videos, songs, illustrations, photographs, essays, or any other artistic expression that promotes handwashing. Finalists will be selected based on the creativity, impact and persuasiveness of their submissions.

Each winner will receive an official certificate from the PAHO/WHO office in his or her country of residence. In addition, winners’ schools will receive a special plaque. Winning entries will be promoted by PAHO/WHO through its website and social networks.

The contest is open to students ages 25 and under. Submission requirements are available at the contest rules homepage (www.paho.org/handwashing). The deadline for submitting entries is September 14, and winners will be announced on October 15 — Global Hand Washing Day.

This year, participating schools throughout the Americas will attempt to set a new Guinness World Record as part of the Global Handwashing Day celebrations. In 2011, schools in the Americas set a Guinness World Record of 740,870 people simultaneously washing their hands in different locations of the region. The goal for 2013 is to mobilise more than one million students to participate in Global Handwashing Day.

Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most effective and low-cost measures for preventing infectious diseases, which cause some 3.5 million deaths worldwide among children under age 5, mainly from diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections. According to data from the Global School-based Health Survey (GSHS), in some countries, more than 15% of students respond that they never or rarely washed their hands before eating during the previous 30 days.

PAHO, founded in 1902, is the oldest international public health organization in the world. It works with its member countries to improve the health and the quality of life of the people of the Americas. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of WHO and is part of the Inter-American system.