Do improved hygiene practices really make a difference to health?
Updated - Tuesday 08 August 2006
Do improved hygiene practices really make a difference to health?
Research shows that hygiene-related practices such as safe disposal of faeces and hand-washing after contact with faecal material can reduce the rates of intestinal infection considerably. Consider the following figures:
- Hand washing with soap and water can reduce diarrhoeal disease by 35% or more.
- Hand washing can also help to reduce the prevalence of eye infections such as conjunctivitis and trachoma.
- Pit latrines, when used by adults and for the disposal of young children's stools, can reduce diarrhoea by 36% or more.
- Protection of water from faecal contamination can also reduce diarrhoea, because some diarrhoeal infections are water-borne. Improved water quality can be associated with up to a 20% reduction in diarrhoea.
- Water quality in the home can be improved by using only a protected water source for drinking purposes; by keeping water storage vessels clean, covered and out of the reach of young children and domestic animals; by boiling water where practical; or by putting water in clear plastic containers and exposing them to sunshine for several hours.
- In the special case of guinea worm, filtering with a cloth filter can provide complete protection from new infections.
- Increased quantity of water used, which results from better access to water, can bring about 20 % reduction in incidence of diarrhoeas.
Much remains to be learned about the links between improved water supply and sanitation and well-designed and implemented health/hygiene promotion. What is clear is that good hygiene practices are necessary for maintaining good health.
Read more about health benefits from improved sanitation, hygiene and water supply: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/fact-sheets/fact-sheets-htm/sgswsrd.htm
