Raheem Akingbolu captures the
mood of the society as regards the importance of good hygiene and proper
hand washing habits for healthy Nigerian families, citing the example
of Dettol’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiative.
As Mama Enitan moved towards her grandson, the little boy knew his grandma was going to shout at him for playing with sand.
The 4-year-old boy, who came to spend
holidays with his grandmother, found it amusing to join other children
outside his grandparent’s home to engage in various activities.
As he tries to run away to wash his hands in the kitchen, he started to dust the sand off his shirt.
As he tries to run away to wash his hands in the kitchen, he started to dust the sand off his shirt.
“I have told you that playing with the
sand is not hygiene. Children can easily pick up worms and parasites
from it. I would not want your parents to complain when they come to
pick you at the weekend that I have overindulged you,” retorted Mama
Enitan.
Playing in the sand can be a great
opportunity for children to have unstructured play time which is
important for creative development. Playing outside offers many
children, who are usually stuck in confined spaces most of the day, the
chance to engage other children in activities that offer physical and
mental health benefits.
Unfortunately, most children after
playing outside are not as conscious of personal hygiene as they should
be which increases their risk of illness. Added to the fact that access
to safe water and sanitation remain a major challenge in Nigeria.
Many homes, healthcare facilities and
schools still lack antibacterial soap and clean water for hand washing,
and this puts the health of people, particularly young children, at risk
from diseases such as diarrhoea, which is usually caused by poor
hygiene, poor sanitation and contaminated water.
Ironically, mothers are worse off. The
knowledge on handwashing with soaps even among mothers, who should be
the custodian of such knowledge is low in different parts of Nigeria. In
Northwestern Nigeria, a study among 217 mothers in a rural community
found the practice was abysmally low during care of under-fives.
In 2016, researchers reported in the
Savannah Journal of Medical Research and Practice that 59.4% had
inadequate knowledge of handwashing with soaps.
Although a majority (85.7%) of them reported washing their hands with soap within 24 hours preceding the study, only 38.2% did so before feeding a child or after cleaning a child’s buttocks (41.9%). There was a statistically significant association between mother’s level of education and her knowledge level of handwashing with soap.
Although a majority (85.7%) of them reported washing their hands with soap within 24 hours preceding the study, only 38.2% did so before feeding a child or after cleaning a child’s buttocks (41.9%). There was a statistically significant association between mother’s level of education and her knowledge level of handwashing with soap.
Children need to wash their hands
regularly throughout the day, to prevent the spread of illnesses. Hands
pick up germs throughout the day when a child touches objects (including
hard surfaces like benches and toys), food and other people or body
fluids.
The simple act of washing hands with
soap or ash and water—particularly at critical moments, including after
using the toilet and before handling food—can reduce the incidence of
diarrhoea among children under five by almost half, and respiratory
infections by nearly a quarter.
World Health Organisation and UNICEF in a
report titled Progress on Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: 2017
Update and Sustainable Development Goal Baseline indicated that about
2.1 billion people across the world lack access to safe, readily
available water at home and 4.5 billion lacks safely managed sanitation.
The 2016/2017 Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey (MICS) conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also
indicated that 69 million Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water.
The survey which was conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicated that about 40% of households in Nigeria do not have access to clean water sources. Little wonder, the millions of children in developing countries, Nigeria inclusive, that die from infection and illnesses, such as diarrhoea.
The survey which was conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicated that about 40% of households in Nigeria do not have access to clean water sources. Little wonder, the millions of children in developing countries, Nigeria inclusive, that die from infection and illnesses, such as diarrhoea.
According to the World Health
Organisation, diarrhoea disease is the second leading cause of death in
children under five years old and is responsible for killing around
525,000 children every year.
These deaths can be prevented through practicing adequate sanitation and hygiene habits like simple hand washing with soap which can break the chain of infection.
In turning hand washing into an ingrained habit to save lives, the Global Handwashing Day is celebrated annually on October 15 to increase awareness and build the hand washing habit.
These deaths can be prevented through practicing adequate sanitation and hygiene habits like simple hand washing with soap which can break the chain of infection.
In turning hand washing into an ingrained habit to save lives, the Global Handwashing Day is celebrated annually on October 15 to increase awareness and build the hand washing habit.
Considered as the gold standard in germ
protection, Reckitt Benckiser, the producer of Dettol the world’s
leading antibacterial brand, has been committed to spreading the
awareness around hand hygiene amongst children across the globe. Its
vision is to have a world where people are healthier and live better. By
advocating proper handwashing, RB’s ambition globally since 2016 has
been to make lives of 1.2billion people healthier and happier by
improving their hygiene habits.
Speaking about Dettol’s 2018 Global
Handwashing Day activities, General Manager, RB West Africa, Mr.Dayanand
Sriram stated, “Dettol has been the trusted champion for good health
and hygiene for over 50 years in Nigeria, and we believe that it is
important to inculcate good habits such as proper handwashing at an
early age. A simple act of washing hands with soap can prevent illnesses
and arrest diarrhoea related deaths. This is why we are continuing with
the tradition of driving habit change, and provision of needed
infrastructure.
“Over the past 7 years, Dettol has
provided over 32 handwashing sites and educated over 7 million children,
parents and teachers about the importance of handwashing through the
School Hygiene Program, which is a mass education program about proper
handwashing and hygiene habits,” he added.
Though medical experts say the simple
act of hand washing is an important aspect of life, it is often taken
for granted. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), hand
washing could be an important factor towards the attainment of the
Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, by many nations as it could prevent
pneumonia and nutrition-related diseases, as well as help in managing
diarrhoea and HIV/AIDS.
In fact, experts describe hand washing
as a habit that could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical
intervention considering that the hands are the most exposed part of
the body where germs are concerned. For instance, a simple ailment like
conjunctivitis can be passed like flu to everyone who lives close to an
infected person by a shake of the hand, especially dirty hands.
The Country Director of WaterAid
Nigeria, Dr.HalidouKoanda, in an interview, said washing hands with soap
and water regularly was the most important and cheapest method of
curbing the spread of disease-causing germs.
“Washing your hands with soap also means
you can spend less time in hospital and more time in school; it keeps
you healthy to do all the things you love to do.
“It not only protects you, but it also protects everyone around you because it stops germs spreading from you to others,’’ he added.
“It not only protects you, but it also protects everyone around you because it stops germs spreading from you to others,’’ he added.
Also, promoting handwashing practices
should not only involve the provision of hygiene facilities alone, as
Mr. Moustapha Niang, Wash Specialist, UNICEF, proposed that there must
also be a concerted effort in making the people use such facilities
provided.
“Good hygiene practices must be a habit which requires choosing to perform them not only on Global Hand Washing Days but also on a regular basis,” he concluded.
“Good hygiene practices must be a habit which requires choosing to perform them not only on Global Hand Washing Days but also on a regular basis,” he concluded.
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