Soaped hands save lives

The department of water and sanitation is urging South Africans to use soap to wash their hands to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, such as diarrhoea, as part of Global Handwashing Day yesterday.

“Department officials in different parts of the country will visit schools and communities to raise awareness about the benefits of handwashing with soap and put the spotlight on the rate of handwashing in previously disadvantaged communities.

“Global Handwashing Day this year has the theme ‘Clean hands – a recipe for health’.

“The focus will be on the links between handwashing and food, including food hygiene and nutrition,” the department said.

“Members of the public are urged to always wash their hands with soap as it is proven to be the single most effective way to prevent diarrhoea and other hygiene-related diseases in homes, schools and communities.

“Scaling up handwashing hygiene with soap is estimated to prevent the deaths of many children, as well as reduce substantially the number of diarrhoeal incidences.”

According to research, washing hands with soap can reduce the rate of diarrhoeal infections by almost 50% and acute respiratory diseases by up to 25%, the department added.

“When practised by mothers and child birth attendants, it can reduce the neonatal mortality rate by almost 40%.” – ANA