Health Consequences of Poor Hand Washing Hygiene: Implication for Proper Hand Washing Education

Abstract

This paper focuses on the health consequences of poor hand washing hygiene and implication for proper hand washing education. Hand washing is the single most important method of preventing infectious disease such as diarrhoea among children and young people. Hands can be contaminated with faces, fluids, dust, germs and viruses which can be transferred to things we handle such as chairs, door knob, handles, tape holders, electronic devices, keys and the floor.

Infectious disease-causing agents can enter the body when the unwashed hands touch the nose, month, eye, ears among others. Everyone has a role to play to ensure clean hands are within reach. Hand washing is the single most important method of preventing infectious disease such as diarrhoea among children and young people. Hand hygiene has been identified as the simplest and the most cost-effective method of preventing most common infections diseases that cause mortality and morbidity in human population. Some of the items used for hand washing and preventing diseases spread for illnessinclude, Soap and water, Ash and mould, Hand antiseptic, Solid antiseptic anti-bacterial soap, Alcohol-gel.

In conclusions,health education greatly enhanced the knowledge, attitude, and behaviour of people, studentsand the community membersand it was recommended among others that Schools, religious centres, health facilities and other public sectors should provide hand washing stations with soap near connivences and kitchen area. This will help the public practice healthy hand washing.