Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Starting from 1 May, Uzbekistan will implement the "Clean Hands" program, aimed at expanding public access, especially for young people, to sanitation and hygiene products.

The initiative is part of the presidential decree issued on 30 January, approving the State Program for the Implementation of the "Uzbekistan-2030" Strategy in the Year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy (2025).

Under the program, healthcare and educational institutions will be equipped with designated handwashing areas supplied with necessary hygiene products. Additionally, efforts will be made to improve the technical condition of sanitation facilities, including restrooms and showers, with new buildings required to have these facilities indoors.

Social sector institutions must prioritize purchasing handwashing products and sanitizers within the year. From May, public restrooms and dining establishments will also be required to provide hygiene products.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance has been tasked with allocating additional funds to budgetary institutions as needed for program implementation. Meanwhile, the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health must revise funding regulations for hygiene measures and strengthen oversight within a month.

Furthermore, by 1 August, the Ministries of Health, Economy and Finance, Preschool and School Education, and Construction and Housing—with support from WHO and UN experts—must develop and present a comprehensive program for improving sanitation and hygiene systems in social institutions, public dining facilities, and sanitation zones along interregional highways.