Global Handwashing Day, 15 October 2011
As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to share real life member stories with you and explore certain important healthcare issues. This article looks at the subject of hand washing and sanitation this Global Hand Washing Day, 15 October 2011.
GEMS member Pieter de Kock* heard much about the benefits of hand washing in preventing the spread of disease, but, as he had two children whom he wanted to protect, he still had many questions about it and wanted to find out more. "Is it important to dry one's hands after washing?" he wondered. "Do the hand sanitizers that are on the market really help to protect you from germs?" Pieter decided to ask his doctor these and other questions about hand washing the next time he visited him.
Pieter was finally able to speak to his doctor during his annual medical check-up recently. "Keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of many kinds of illnesses and it is important to wash your hands regularly," Pieter's doctor told him. "Clean hands can prevent you from catching germs as well as passing them onto your family and colleagues."
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has noted that millions of children in the developing world die from diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections. Diarrhoea is believed to kill about two to three million children every year. The CSIR estimates that proper hand washing with soap could have prevented as many as half of these deaths.
Global Handwashing Day was established in 2008 in order to raise awareness about the benefits and encourage a culture of hand washing with soap. The initiative says that hand washing with soap is a simple and effective way to prevent diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, which together are responsible for most child deaths. Yet despite its lifesaving potential hand washing is still not practised by a large number of people around the world.
We may get germs on our hands from just about any object that other people have been in contact with. Individuals with colds or flu may sneeze into their hands and then touch us or everyday objects such as hand railings, doorknobs or telephones. We know that some germs can stay alive on such objects for up to two hours and if we touch them we may unknowingly transfer the germs onto our own hands. If we then touch our mouth, nose or eyes we may catch the virus or bacteria.
When should you and your children wash your hands? You should wash your hands regularly throughout the day and especially after you come into contact with objects you may consider dirty or unsanitary. Consider washing your hands:
Pieter's doctor observes that it is best to wash your hands with soap and water. He says washing with water alone is ineffective, as it does not remove oils, fats and grime.
Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap to them. Using both your hands work the soap into a lather and then scrub them well. Be sure to wash thoroughly between your fingers, under the nails and also the backs of your hands. Rub for at least 20 seconds to ensure a good clean.
One way to ensure that you soap your hands for long enough is to hum the ‘Happy Birthday' song to yourself twice over. Teach this method to your children to ensure that they wash their hands properly too. After soaping make sure to rinse your hands with clean running water and then dry them using a clean towel or paper towel.
Rinsing and drying your hands after washing with soap has been shown to be very important aspects of the hand cleaning process. While soap and water lifts the grime from the skin, it also needs to be flushed and dried off the hands. This may be achieved by rinsing and then towel-drying respectively. It should be noted that using a clean towel or paper towel to dry your hands is a more effective means of removing germs than is achieved using the electric hand-dryers that are found in many public washrooms.
If you are not able to wash your hands with soap and water hand sanitizers may help to reduce the number of germs on your hands. Use an alcohol based sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Keep in mind that while these sanitizers may reduce the number of germs on your hands they do not eliminate all types of germs and are not effective when your hands are visibly dirty. Use enough sanitizer to wet both hands and rub them together for around 30 seconds or until your hands are dry.
Hand washing is easy and has the benefit of protecting the health of you and your family. Since learning how important it can be, Pieter has made hand washing a routine for both himself and his children. He believes that it is helping the family to keep infectious illnesses at bay.
If you would like to know how GEMS can assist you to obtain more information about any of your healthcare needs, you can contact the GEMS call centre on 0860 00 4367 or send an SMS to 083 450 4367. GEMS will assist you in every way possible to ensure your family's health and well-being.
References
1. Global Handwashing Day, www.globalhandwashingday.org/About.asp.
2. ‘Hand washing: Do's and Don'ts', Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-washing/HQ00407.
3. ‘Stopping germs at home, work and school', www.cdc.gov/germstopper/home_work_school.htm.
4. ‘Sanitation Updates', http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/south-africa-handwashing-device-to-fight-water-borne-disease/.
*The member's name has been changed in order to protect his identity.
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