The Importance of Hand Hygiene Practices for Preventing Infectious Diseases

Hand hygiene is an event for infectious disease control, and advancement of hand hygiene has become one step up measure of community health. Excellent hygiene from a society shall be an easiest way to make an influence on the health condition of villagers. Hygiene is one of the “low-cost”, most “cost-operative” changes from that can be made with directly rewards for quality of life. Same studies in past showed that to take one step for simple action of hands hygiene with soap may reduce or avoid the risk of diarrheal diseases in a community by 47 percent. Sometimes, simple hand washing techniques also a cost effective which helps to minimizing almost 90% of infections. 

Hand hygiene remains one of the most important strategies in preventing infections in healthcare settings and preventing healthcare associated infections that affect hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide each year leading to significant illnesses, disabilities, prolonged hospital stay and added financial burden to patients, families and the healthcare system. In efforts to prevent such detrimental outcomes and improve patient safety within the healthcare setting, hand hygiene has become the primary area of focus in a wide range of initiatives such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hand hygiene guidelines, and the World Health Organization 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene. 

In continuation of hygiene education, rates of “safe” hand washing are sub-optimal. Soap scarcity in some households and the prioritization of laundry are barriers to safe practice. Miscellaneousness towards education and its place of start may need to be appropriated towards the setting of improved experiment. For maintaining health Hand Washing with Soap (HWWS) is effective, investing in HWWS is easy and minimal. For school children the practice is significant, who might suffer from more severe hygiene related diseases as compared to adults. In the home and everyday life setting hand hygiene is central to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has proposed guidelines for hand hygiene reflected that washing hands with soap and water when it is visibly dirty or soiled with blood or other body fluids or after toilet use. The guidelines endorse washing hands with water and soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Past studies on the alcohol-based hand rubs show that it has very good efficacy and concentration of alcohol ranges from 62% to 95% thus assuring that they are anti bactericidal. Over the world, 5.3% of deaths and 6.8% of disability happens due to weak sanitation, weak hygiene and water hazard. Approx 2/3rd i.e. (67%) of the total population go for open-air defecation and only 1/3rd (33%) having access to a latrine. 

In conclusion, hand hygiene practice is an effective measure towards the infectious diseases such as diarrhea, worms, acidity, stomach problems etc which may generate severe illness also during later stage. Because of hand hygiene is very simple activity, inexpensive and effective so it’s important to be aware about knowledge and practices regarding hand hygiene of the villagers. To aware the people towards good practices of hand hygiene is a necessary task of local bodies, various government authorities, ASHA workers, PHC’s to overcome economic burden at early stage.