Make hand hygiene daily practice — Health expert

Ghanaians have been advised to make hand hygiene a part of their daily lifestyle to break the cycle of transmission of infections and diseases in the country.

This is because consistent hand hygiene is key to curbing infections and the spread of diseases.

A member of the National Infection Prevention and Control Committee of the Ministry of Health, Dr Serwah Amoah, who gave the advice, explained that though the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw many Ghanaians strictly adhere to hand hygiene principles was no more, other diseases such as cholera and typhoid persisted, and it was the same hand hygiene principles that could break the cycle of their transmission.

“It helped in COVID-19, but COVID-19 is no more. It will help with cholera, typhoid and all other communicable diseases.

Hand washing is evident in breaking the cycle of transmission for those diseases. It is the single most effective method or measure in breaking the cycle of infection among individuals,” she emphasised.

Dr Amoah said this in an interview ahead of World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) which will be observed on May 5.

She explained that most interactions involved the use of hands, which was one of the main reasons it was important to keep them clean to ensure those interactions remained safe.

She said about 24 to 40 per cent of Ghanaians used their hands in eating, which implies that their hands should always be clean.

Furthermore, 52 per cent of Ghanaians had the habit of washing their hands after they had gone out, while 51 per cent washed their hands after using the washroom.

Globally, she added, according to the World Health Organisation, every three in 10 homes do not even have hand washing facilities to wash their hands.

World Hand Hygiene Day

WHHD is an international event aimed at promoting the visibility and sustainability of hand hygiene in health care and bringing people together in support of hand hygiene improvement around the world.

The theme for this year’s celebration is, “It might be gloves, it's always hand hygiene,” and it highlights the fact that regardless of whether gloves are worn, hand hygiene at the right times and in the right way is still one of the most important measures to protect patients and health workers in health care.

Dr Amoah said all agencies under the MOH were also expected to commemorate it with activities such as health education, sensitisation, and distribution of sanitisers.

Hand hygiene is a general term for either washing your hands under running water or the use of alcohol-based hand wraps.

Accessibility

Suggesting ways of promoting hand hygiene among Ghanaians, Dr Amoah called for constant education and the need for metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and heads of institutions to position hand hygiene facilities in vantage areas with all the needed items.

She also called for the enforcement of the protocol and tasking of individuals to ensure that hand hygiene facilities were available.

Dr Amoah called on individuals to take charge of their health by having their sanitiser and using tissues instead of handkerchiefs so they can quickly dispose of them.