How a child’s health is in your hands
Wednesday, 12 October 2011 – 15 October is Global Handwashing Day and another timely reminder of how this simple and often overlooked, hygiene habit could save the lives of thousands of South Africans — especially children under the age of 5. Reports suggest that as many as 22 500 of these vulnerable youngsters die from preventable communicable diseases every year.
“Global Handwashing Day is an especially important commemoration here in South Africa, where poor hygiene contributes to the spread of preventable illnesses like diarrhoea and our high child mortality rate,” confirms Dr Kgosi Letlape, President of the Africa Medical Association (AfMA) and a member of the Global Hygiene Council.
Global Handwashing Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of proper and frequent hand washing with soap. This hygiene habit is seldom practised in the communities it would benefit most, even though it has been shown to be an extremely effective and inexpensive way of preventing diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, including pneumonia and TB [1],[2],[3].
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, at least 3.5 million childrenunder the age of 5 years are still dying every year from diarrhoea and acute lower respiratory-tract infections[4], the majority of these deaths occurring in developing countries, including South Africa[5].
These largely preventable deaths continue to contribute to South Africa’s alarmingly high under-five child mortality rate. While accurate statistics remain hard to come by, projections by UNICEF (part of the UN mortality group), which follow the same trend as estimates from the Actuarial Society of South Africa’s 2003 model, suggest that the rate in 2008 was 67 deaths per 1 000 children[6].
“This rate is still far too high,” agrees Dr Letlape. “Unfortunately, we seem to be slipping backwards and losing ground against these important health markers. We have got to get these numbers down. Part of the issue relating to this is HIV/AIDS, of course, but we are also experiencing a plague of diarrhoea and other infectious diseases that we know we can reduce through improved hygiene methods.”
Proper, frequent handwashing with soap helps to prevent communicable diseases like diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections by removing pathogens (disease causing micro-organisms like bacteria and viruses) that are found on hands.
A study conducted by the Global Hygiene Council of 1 250 households in the Western Cape has shown that illnesses in homes which practiced basic good hygiene habits were reduced by up to 75%. The study indicated that 80% of gastrointestinal infections, including vomiting and diarrhoea, as well as 70% of respiratory infections and skin infections, can be prevented through good hygiene habits[7].
These findings are verified by research from 17 other international studies, all of which confirm that the simple act of handwashing reduces the risk of contracting a stomach bug by at least 47%[8]. “The evidence is clear, by washing our hands we break the cycle of infection,” maintains Dr Letlape.
Referring to a 2009 survey by the Global Hygiene Council in which 60% of South Africans admitted they don’t wash their hands properly after using the toilet, sneezing or handling pets and food, and 24% said they usually wash their hands with running water only[9], Dr Letlape claims we still have a long way to go to make sure people take this message seriously.
“Not only do we not wash our hands frequently enough, there are still plenty of misconceptions about hand washing that need to be tackled,” he contends. “Too many people, for instance, still believe that a quick splash in some water will do, and few know that some pathogens, like the flu virus, can survive on a surface for up to 72 hours.”
Dr Letlape is also eager to ensure mothers and other caregivers appreciate that children are more at risk than adults. “Children tend to have much more intense personal contact,” he explains, “as touch forms a big part of their play and interaction throughout the day, making them more susceptible. The good news, however, is that they can also be very effective agents of change once they have been taught the benefits of good hygiene.”
It’s this positive message of behavioural change that Dr Letlape wants us to keep in mind as we observe Global Handwashing Day this year. “We need to remember that our health, and the health of our children, is in our hands, both figuratively and literally,” he concludes, “and the most powerful and cost-effective weapon we have against the spread of infection is also the simplest: hand washing with soap.”
As part of its activities around Global Handwashing Day and confirmation of its ongoing commitment to the health of South African children, Dettol will be donating R1 from every Dettol Liquid hand wash sold between 15 September and 31 October 2011 to the Children’s Hospital Trust, fundraiser for the RedCross WarMemorial Children’s Hospital and Paediatric Healthcare in the Western Cape.
“It is the only specialist hospital in southern Africa dedicated entirely to children, making it an obvious, complementary addition to our other home and personal hygiene initiatives, such as the Eve Graham Government Hospital Programme and Detto Roadshow,” explains Bevan Lewis, senior brand manager of Dettol South Africa. “We are delighted to be able to support it through the Children’s Hospital Trust and to help raise funds to upgrade the hospital’s B1 and B2 wards, which will further improve the care it is able to provide children with illnesses such as diarrhoea, pneumonia, TB and HIV.”
[1] Ejemot RI, Ehiri JE, Meremikwu MM, Critchley JA. Hand washing for preventing diarrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1. Art. No.:CD004265. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004265.pub2
[2] Dobson R. Handwashing programmes could be intervention of choice for diarrhoeal diseases. BMJ 2003; 326 : 1004 doi: 10.1136/bmj.326.7397.1004/f (Published 10 May 2003)
[3] Professor Eugene C Cole et al. Hygiene Promotion and Illness Reduction in Peri-Urban Families in Cape Town, South Africa: A Community Participatory Approach. 2005.
[4] World Health Report 2005—make every mother and child count. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005: 190–91
[5] Black RE, Morris SS, Bryce J. Where and why are 10 million children dying every year? Lancet 2003; 361: 2226–34
[6] Sanders D, Bradshaw D and Ngongo N. The status of child health in South Africa. South African Child Gauge 2009/2010: 30-31
[7] Professor Eugene C Cole et al. Hygiene Promotion and Illness Reduction in Peri-Urban Families in Cape Town, South Africa: A Community Participatory Approach. 2005.
[8] Curtis and Cairncross. Lancet Infect Dis 2003; 3(5):275-281
[9] Global Hygiene Survey. Global Hygiene Council and Dettol. 2009. http://www.hygienecouncil.com/SouthAfrica/
