| Picture a 7 year old child who has not developed the habit of washing his hands properly. This child may be missing school several times a year because of frequent bouts of diarrhea. Even on days that he is in class he may need to use the washroom (if one exists in his school) several times and may not hear first-hand what is being taught. Multiple bouts of diarrhoea will require his parents spending money on “sick-care” as they patronize hospital after hospital. Time that could have been used to work for additional money is lost and the money available is also being drained. This child with frequent diarrhoea will be losing “hard-earned” nutrients and may end up being malnourished. Now things get worse since the poor nutritional state exposes the child to more illnesses because of a decrease in immunity leading to more hospital visits or stay. Then with his poor nutritional state studying becomes a major challenge. Eventually he underperforms in school and may end up under-achieving in life. He could have been our best president or minister for Sanitation but we failed at guiding him just because we did not teach him to wash his hands properly with soap and water. YES! Something as basic as handwashing could have changed the whole narrative. IMAGINE THIS · Handwashing prevents the transmission of a variety of disease-causing organisms and may be more effective than any single vaccine. · If promoted on a wide enough scale, handwashing with soap can be thought of as a “do-it-yourself” (DIY) vaccine. If we make handwashing a habit and make soap and clean water available and affordable, we could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention. · It is worth noting that handwashing after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food can reduce diarrhoea risk by a whopping 45%. · It is important to emphasise that for any WASH (WAter, Sanitation, Hygiene) strategy to be successful, handwashing with soap and water should be made the focus. · Hand washing when done properly is effective at preventing respiratory diseases such as the common cold, eye infections in addition to Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever as well as different types of diarrhoea and vomiting. Hand Washing is NOT a Quick Rinse! I love the theme for this year’s Global Handwashing Day that fell on October 15th, 2018. It could not have been put better; “Clean Hands – A Recipe for Health.” Handwashing on its own will go a long way but we need to take action on food hygiene and proper nutrition as together these ensure children who are the future of this world grow healthy and strong and also perform well in school. Proper handwashing may appear basic but it makes a huge impact on our health and wealth as a nation. STEPS FOR PROPER & EFFECTIVE HAND WASHING 1. Wash hands with running water and soap a. If you do not have taps flowing, get someone to pour a steady stream of water b. Washing in standing water may not be a good idea especially when more than one person is involved. 2. Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds 3. Pay special attention to your wrists, back of your hands, between your fingers and underneath your fingernails. 4. Leave the water running while you dry your hands a. This is a tricky one. The aim is to avoid recontamination so if using a tap keep it running till you dry your hands then use the paper towel to hold the tap to close it. b. If only a single towel is available for all you may be better off not using it. c. It may be helpful to carry tissue paper whenever you are out of home since it may come in handy. You may use to close the tap as well as open the bathroom door. Remember that together we can improve our health through washing our hands with soap and water; by washing yours and encouraging others to do the same we will literally be using our hands to improve our health. AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI). Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel Health Essentials Ltd/St Andrews Clinic (dressel@healthessentialsgh.com) *Dr. Kojo Essel is a Medical Doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition & Corrective Exercise. Thought for the week – “Your health rests in your hands – literally; washing your hands with soap and water regularly can reduce your risk for many diseases. You have the power to improve your health daily. This may sound too simple to be true but you can certainly improve your health merely by washing your hands properly and at the right time. References: 1. Globalhandwashing.org 2. Global Handwashing Day: Need for greater political commitment, investment and cooperation. (David Winder, CEO WaterAid) |
