Er. Prabhat Kishore
World Handwashing Day is a global day to promote hand washing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives. Since 2008, this day is celebrated every year on October 15 all over the world and people are motivated to wash their hands with soap and running water on various occasions.
Hand washing or Hand hygiene is the important act of cleaning hands with soap and running water and drying them afterwards. For Indians it is essential, as we have culture of eating food with our natural hands. Hands are a convenient transportation system for germs, as they can easily enter the human body through dirty hands and cause various diseases. Therefore, it is important to wash hands with soap and water after defecation, after touching kid’s stool, before eating and after touching any infected surfaces. This can significantly reduce the risk of serious and fatal diseases such as tooth decay and pneumonia.
Hand washing with soap is an easy, effective, and do-it-yourself behaviour that prevents infections and saves lives. Everyone can protect themselves, their families, and their communities by completing the six steps of hand washing with soap. The six steps are – (1) Wet hands with clean running water, (2) Apply soap and lather well, rubbing the hands together for at least 20 seconds, (3) Scrub all surfaces including the back of the hands, wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails, (4) Rinse well, (5) Turn off the faucets using the elbow or a paper towel, (6) Dry hands using a towel or handkerchief, as it is easier for germs to spread on wet hands than dry ones.
Diarrhea is also a common disease in young children, which can be prevented to a large extent by simply washing hands with soap and water. Washing hands with soap at regular intervals is also recommended to prevent the spread of the virus. Regularly washing hands with soap and water helps prevent influenza and other infections, COVID-19.
Hand washing with soap and water can reduce diarrhea by 30 percent and acute respiratory infections by 20 percent. This process plays a vital role in reducing the transmission of pathogens associated with outbreaks such as Cholera, Ebola, Shigellosis, SARS, Hepatitis-A &E and COVID-19.Hand hygiene can also contribute to reducing neglected tropical diseases.
Hand washing habits have been linked to disease prevention as well as other benefits. Low rates of school absenteeism and recently encouraging older children to wash their hands regularly at school have helped the non-closure of the schools. The practice of regular handwashing with soap and running water is considered as a contributing factor to the well-being, dignity, educational fulfillment, and productivity of the common man.
(The author is Engineer & Academician).
