Hand Hygiene: Privilege or Necessity? Hand Hygiene Day 2024
-Aarohi Ghosh.
If you washed your hands today, you are luckier than the 2 billion people in the world who lack access to safe water. Most of us do not think twice before washing our hands, and none of us should have to. Basic hygiene should not be a luxury, but a basic aspect of our lives to maintain well-being.
“Power of Hand Hygiene” is the theme for Hand Hygiene Day this year, emphasizing how a small act can save lives and keep fatal diseases at bay. According to the World Bank, simply promoting better hygiene practices can be the most cost-effective method to reduce diseases. Handwashing can prevent about 30% of diarrhea-related sicknesses and about 20% of respiratory infections. It is even estimated that washing hands routinely potentially prevents up to 1 million deaths every year.
But how do germs spread so quickly? They are circulated when we touch our eyes, noses, or mouths or prepare and eat food with unwashed hands. Not covering the nose or mouth while sneezing can spread respiratory droplets and be highly detrimental.
Contaminated hands easily pass on germs that cause gastrointestinal and respiratory infections which cause serious harm, especially to young children, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic played a key role in reminding us the importance of this habit, and that we must continue to integrate it into our lives regardless. Before having meals, after using the restroom, while preparing food, and after caring for animals or patients are key times to practice handwashing. The lack of hand hygiene contributes to numerous healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) as well. These are infections contracted at healthcare facilities when one is being treated for other conditions and harm patients, visitors, and workers, thereby increasing costs. This increases not just monetary costs, but psychological and emotional costs also since the risk of HAIs causes increased stress and anxiety among patients. As per WHO, appropriate control measures can reduce HAIs by 70%.
As mentioned earlier, the lack of hand hygiene is a problem that affects a person both physically and mentally. It breaches an individual’s inalienable right to live a dignified life. The increased risk of acquiring diseases at a young age impacts a child’s overall development, learning, and even economic opportunities later on. The importance of health, dignity, and prosperity in one’s life cannot be ignored.
Various myths surrounding the idea of hand hygiene can also affect how effectively we perform this action. Wearing gloves does not eliminate the need to wash our hands. Bacteria multiply rapidly in moist environments under gloves and minuscule tears can expose the skin to various surfaces. Washing hands with alcohol-based sanitizers with up to 60% alcohol content can be an alternative to handwashing but still does not eliminate all germs. Also, hot water does not reduce pathogens, since the temperature of water does not affect this process.
Moreover, this process needs to be done thoroughly for 20 seconds to be beneficial. Firstly, wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Next, rub the soap and spread it across your palms, the backs of your hands, between the fingers, and under the nails. Lastly, rinse and dry. Sing or hum your favourite song so that you don’t get bored! Increasing awareness is the first step to change. Public health campaigns, school programs, workshops, or even circulating a simple infographic poster on social media can help spread the message.
As per a report by WHO, improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene can save approximately 1.4 million lives per year. Rainwater harvesting systems can help collect and store rainwater in areas with water shortages. In fact, rooftop rainwater harvesting is common in Shillong, Meghalaya, and contributes to around 15-25% of the total water utilized by households here. Cheap solutions like chlorine tablets and plastic bottles that can be exposed to sunlight without chemicals leaching into the water should be promoted. Additionally, stricter guidelines in healthcare spaces and implementing efficient waste management systems are vital community-wide efforts to improve overall hygiene. After all, it takes about 66 days on average to develop a habit. Why not start today?
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