Washing of childhood mortality

The Global Hand Washing Day went by last week on October 15 without being noticed much.

Some schools celebrated it but many others, especially in rural areas, gave it the miss.

The celebration is not meant to be confined to schools, though they are the places where the day should attract maximum attention. Many other days dedicated to other causes attract more attention and many social events are held to support and spread those causes. It was the United Nations which decided that  a day had to be set apart to draw attention to the importance of personal hygiene through the washing of hands. Agencies like the Unicef and many public and private organisations are involved in it. The day has been celebrated for nine years now since 2008 which the UN had declared as the International Year of Sanitation. It started with participation of citizens, especially children, in over 70 countries but there are more countries involved in it now.

The day is meant to introduce and inculcate the habit of washing hands with soap to reduce rates of childhood mortality arising from diarrhoea and respiratory diseases. It is mainly directed at children, especially in poor countries where sanitation facilities and standards are low. It might seem to be a small and even trivial matter but there are many small things that make a big difference in the lives of people. Washing of hands with soap or other disinfectants is considered to be the most effective and cheapest way to prevent many diseases. Diarrhoea and  respiratory ailments are major killers of children below five years of age.

 Studies have found that washing of hands with soap can cut the incidence of diarrhoea by almost  half. It can also reduce the occurrence of respiratory tract diseases by a third. It has been claimed that a million lives can be saved every year if  the washing of hands  becomes  a habit in families.  Since defecation in open spaces is very common in most poor countries, there is a very high chance of people being infected with disease-causing pathogens. Washing hands with soap provides a basic level of safety. 

Highlighting the need for washing hands and to maintain personal and physical hygiene is particularly important in India. It should become a part of the Swachh Bharat campaign which has been launched by the government. The benefits of building toilets will be realised only if there is proper hygienic follow-up after the use of toilets. It is necessary to spread awareness of the need to keep the hands clean not only among children but among adults also.