Health education song teaches millions about COVID-19

More than 40 million people have viewed a song on YouTube about washing hands to prevent COVID-19. The health education video was produced by the Vietnam National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health (NIOEH), in collaboration with well-known Vietnamese musicians and singers Khac Hung, and Min x Erik.

The song and accompanying animated video aim to educate the general public, particularly young people, about the preventative measures required to stop the spread of COVID-19, and in turn ease the burden on frontline health workers. Young people have recorded dances to “Ghen Co Vy”, which can be translated as the “Washing hands song,” with one dance by Quang Dang attracting more than 5 million views.

The song asks people to take responsibility; to wash hands, avoid touching their face, and stay away from crowds – to “push back the virus Corona Corona”. It’s 25 million viewers are linked to the latest information from the World Health Organization about COVID-19. 

Education plays a critical role in preventing and addressing the COVID-19 outbreak. People need knowledge to understand the virus, to prevent infection, and to avoid infecting others.

UNESCO continues to strengthen it work on education for health and well-being, reflecting growing international recognition of the inter-relationship between education and health. There is good evidence that education is strongly linked to health outcomes, and inversely, health is equally fundamental to education.

With more than 1.5 billion students and youth across the planet affected by school and university closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak, more students than ever are going online to seek information and education. In response to the outbreak and its impact on education, UNESCO has launched a Global Education Coalition to facilitate inclusive learning opportunities. UNESCO is also monitoring global school closures and finding distance learning solutions.