Md Altaf Hussain :
Hand-washing is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many germs that can make people sick are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. Hand-washing is especially important during key times, such as after using the bathroom or before preparing food.
Each year on October 15, over 200 million people in over 100 countries take part in celebrations to mark Global Hand-washing Day. This year the theme was ‘Our hands, our future!’ This theme reminds us that hand-washing protects our own health, but also allows us to build our own futures, as well as those of our communities, and the world. Each year, over 200 million people celebrate Global Hand-washing Day.
School children are exposed to all kinds of germs and bacteria that they wouldn’t usually come into contact with at home. Children are naturally curious and exploring things by touch can cause their hands to become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, which could make them and others seriously ill.
The simplest way for schools and parents to help avoid illnesses at school is that age-old mantra of effective hand washing. It is drummed into all of us from early childhood, yet it has been estimated that one in five people still fail to wash their hands after visiting the washroom.
What are the risks of poor hand hygiene?
Young children are placed at a substantial risk of illness through the transfer of germs within school, and are often unaware of the dangers of sub-standard hand washing. As a consequence, on average, children contract three to eight colds each year.
Hand washing correctly with soap could protect about one in three young children who get sick with diarrhoea and almost one in five young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia. This emphasises how important it is for children to learn how to wash their hands as early as possible, in order to minimise the risk of contracting anything more harmful than a common cold.
It is important to note that water alone does not clean hands effectively. Over 75 per cent of people either don’t wash their hands at all or don’t use soap to clean their hands properly. This lack of education about the importance of soap when washing their hands could be contributing heavily to the spread of infectious diseases in school. A survey by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine unearthed that only 63.8 per cent of primary school children regularly washed their hands with soap at school, a figure which dropped to 39 per cent for secondary school children.
Teachers and parents also have a responsibility to promote hand hygiene awareness and compliance to school children. Both should be leading by example and be seen to wash their own hands frequently throughout the day, using the proper techniques.
In order to reduce germ transfer, it is advisable that primary schools set up a sealed cartridge soap dispensing system, a far more hygienic, economical and environmentally-friendly option than bar soap or bulk fill systems.
These dispensing systems are easy to operate for children, and maintenance costs are minimal for schools.
To further encourage hand hygiene compliance and reduce the transfer of bacteria, schools must also understand the value of investing in brightly coloured and attractive dispensers to help engage children in the hand washing process. In addition to these visually enticing dispensers, schools should also ensure that education materials are in plentiful supply throughout the school. Posters for children on how and why they should wash their hands with soap are crucial to reinforce the message, as is providing teachers with well thought-out lesson plans and activities on the topic.
(Md Altaf Hussain, Chairman, Green Club, Manikgonj)
Hand-washing is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many germs that can make people sick are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. Hand-washing is especially important during key times, such as after using the bathroom or before preparing food.
Each year on October 15, over 200 million people in over 100 countries take part in celebrations to mark Global Hand-washing Day. This year the theme was ‘Our hands, our future!’ This theme reminds us that hand-washing protects our own health, but also allows us to build our own futures, as well as those of our communities, and the world. Each year, over 200 million people celebrate Global Hand-washing Day.
School children are exposed to all kinds of germs and bacteria that they wouldn’t usually come into contact with at home. Children are naturally curious and exploring things by touch can cause their hands to become a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, which could make them and others seriously ill.
The simplest way for schools and parents to help avoid illnesses at school is that age-old mantra of effective hand washing. It is drummed into all of us from early childhood, yet it has been estimated that one in five people still fail to wash their hands after visiting the washroom.
What are the risks of poor hand hygiene?
Young children are placed at a substantial risk of illness through the transfer of germs within school, and are often unaware of the dangers of sub-standard hand washing. As a consequence, on average, children contract three to eight colds each year.
Hand washing correctly with soap could protect about one in three young children who get sick with diarrhoea and almost one in five young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia. This emphasises how important it is for children to learn how to wash their hands as early as possible, in order to minimise the risk of contracting anything more harmful than a common cold.
It is important to note that water alone does not clean hands effectively. Over 75 per cent of people either don’t wash their hands at all or don’t use soap to clean their hands properly. This lack of education about the importance of soap when washing their hands could be contributing heavily to the spread of infectious diseases in school. A survey by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine unearthed that only 63.8 per cent of primary school children regularly washed their hands with soap at school, a figure which dropped to 39 per cent for secondary school children.
Teachers and parents also have a responsibility to promote hand hygiene awareness and compliance to school children. Both should be leading by example and be seen to wash their own hands frequently throughout the day, using the proper techniques.
In order to reduce germ transfer, it is advisable that primary schools set up a sealed cartridge soap dispensing system, a far more hygienic, economical and environmentally-friendly option than bar soap or bulk fill systems.
These dispensing systems are easy to operate for children, and maintenance costs are minimal for schools.
To further encourage hand hygiene compliance and reduce the transfer of bacteria, schools must also understand the value of investing in brightly coloured and attractive dispensers to help engage children in the hand washing process. In addition to these visually enticing dispensers, schools should also ensure that education materials are in plentiful supply throughout the school. Posters for children on how and why they should wash their hands with soap are crucial to reinforce the message, as is providing teachers with well thought-out lesson plans and activities on the topic.
(Md Altaf Hussain, Chairman, Green Club, Manikgonj)
