Recognize the importance of hand washing and hygiene
The Global Handwashing Day was celebrated in 2019 on the 15th of October to raise awareness on the importance of washing hands with soap as a key approach to disease prevention.
This is done annually through mobilisation of individuals, households, schools and health facilities, to adopt the culture of handwashing and hygiene as a proven intervention to curb life-threatening preventable diseases like diarrhoea in children.
The 2019 Global Handwashing Day theme was “Clean Hands for All.”
Diarrhoea in South Africa is a major public health problem and is one of the main causes of deaths in children under the age of five (5) years. Diarrhoea accounts for 3.4% of total deaths and is the 8th largest cause of death.
Studies have shown that 60% of South Africans do not wash their hands with soap after visiting the toilet or before they eat, and those that do, do not use soap. Many germs that can make people sick are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean running water.
This calls for efforts to be made to encourage people to actively engage in good hand hygiene practices and promote good health. The Global Handwashing Day provides an opportune moment to put the spotlight on the importance of good handwashing and hygiene as well as health benefits.
According to research, handwashing can reduce the rate of diarrhoeal infections by almost 50% and acute respiratory diseases by up to 25% in children. When practiced by mothers and birth attendants, can reduce neonatal mortality rates by almost 40%.
The KwaZulu Natal Department of Health calls on the publics as well as clinical health practitioners to heed the call on the importance of washing hands with soap at critical times.
Credit to KZN Health Bulletin October 2019
An Important Reminder from the World Health Organization – What can I do to keep my family safe from the Coronavirus? https://t.co/VzrrF6X9nU #Health #Coronavirus #COVIDー19@WHO @nicd_sa pic.twitter.com/Fl4i5qy27P
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[Hand Hygiene] The World Health Organization outlines steps on how to ensure you clean your hands using either handrub or soap and water. Here are two posters outlining these steps. pic.twitter.com/iBjY7oxjcr
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