Why wash our hands?

CEBU, Philippines – Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.

How germs get onto hands and make people sick

Feces (poop) from people or animals is a key source of germs like Salmonella, E. coli O157, and norovirus that cause diarrhea, and it can spread some respiratory infections like adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease. These kinds of germs can get onto hands after people use the toilet or change a diaper, and also in less obvious ways, like after handling raw meats that have invisible amounts of animal poop on them. A single gram of human feces – which is about the weight of a paper clip – can contain one trillion germs. Germs can also get onto hands if people touch any object that has germs on it because someone coughed or sneezed on it or was touched by some other contaminated object. When these germs get onto hands and are not washed off, they can be passed from person to person and make people sick.

Washing hands prevents illnesses and spread of infections to others

Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands. This helps prevent infections, considering that:

• People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it and unwittingly let germs into the body and make them sick.

• Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick.

• Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects, like handrails, table tops, or toys, and then transferred to another person’s hands.

• Removing germs through handwashing therefore helps prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections and skin and eye infections as well.

Proper handwashing helps people and communities to stay healthy. Handwashing education in the community:

• Reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 31percent

• Reduces diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58 percent

• Reduces respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by 16-21 percent

Not washing hands  harms children

All over the world, about 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year from diarrheal diseases and pneumonia. Handwashing with soap could protects about one out of every three young children who get sick with diarrhea and almost one out of five young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia. Although people around the world clean their hands with water, very few use soap. Washing hands with soap removes germs much more effectively.

Handwashing education and access to soap in schools can help improve attendance, as children are less at risk of contracting hand-transmitted diseases. In the same light, proper handwashing habit early in life may help improve the children’s development, as they are less disturbed by illness. (cdc.gov.ph)