Raise a hand for hygiene on hand washing day
Two major illnesses that are transmitted on the hands are diarrhoea and pneumonia
Global Hand Washing Day is marked on October15 to increase awareness and understanding about the importance of hand washing with soap.
Hand hygiene is one of the most important ways to reduce the transmission of infections. It is an easy, effective and affordable do-it-yourself way of protection.
“Organisms (germs) are usually carried on the skin for a short time only and are easily removed by proper hand hygiene by the action of rubbing,” explains Ms Joria Cronjé, a lecturer at the Unit for Infection Prevention and Control at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and Tygerberg Hospital.
Hand washing is one of the most important public health interventions in the world, according to the Global Public-Private Partnership for Hand Washing.
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One should routinely clean one’s hands before preparing food, eating and after using the toilet or changing babies’ diapers, coughing and sneezing. People can spread disease if they do not wash their hands to remove bacteria and viruses before touching their eyes, nose or mouth.
“Hand hygiene can dramatically reduce the risk of disease, which can cause serious illness and death,” says Cronjé.
Two major illnesses that are transmitted on the hands are diarrhoea and pneumonia. It is estimated that 1.7 million children under the age of five die from diarrhoea and pneumonia every year.
“The simple act of washing hands with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea rates among children under five by almost 50 percent, and respiratory infections by nearly 25 percent, thus it is important to turn hand washing into a habit,” says Cronjé.
Diarrhoea is also a huge contributing factor to malnutrition. According to the World Health Organisation, about 50 percent of the world’s cases of child undernutrition are due to repeated bowel and intestinal infections caused by poor hygiene.
“Each individual, and especially children, can contribute to the health of all by just washing their hands with soap on a regular basis,” says Cronjé.
On October 15, Global Hand Washing Day events are held around the world to promote hand washing and raise awareness of the crucially important role it plays in child survival and overall community health.
For more information visit: www.globalhandwashingday.org
