Hand hygiene is not a matter of convenience; it is a matter of life and death. As the world commemorated Global Handwashing Day this month, under the theme”Clean Hands Are Within Reach,” it signalled the continuous conversation aimed at ensuring that a majority of Kenyans have access to facilities and embrace handwashing, our first line of defence against a myriad of communicable diseases.
The statistics are staggering. According to the latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately half of the world’s population still lacks adequate access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
This lack of access could have potentially prevented at least 1.4 million deaths. In Kenya, the statistics are even more alarming. During the commemoration of last year’s Global Handwashing Day in Homa Bay County, the Ministry of Health revealed that less than 30 percent of Kenyans have access to handwashing facilities, especially after using latrines.
According to the ministry, 23 counties—including Nyamira, Kajiado, Samburu, Kilifi, Turkana, and counties in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs)—are in dire straits. Last year alone, health facilities across the country reported 17 million cases of respiratory system infections and four million cases of diarrhoea.
Hand hygiene is a fundamental right, and its absence disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including women, children, and those living in poverty.
Handwashing with soap can dramatically reduce the spread of diseases, particularly acute respiratory infections and diarrhoea, two of the leading causes of child mortality. Studies have shown that even in areas highly contaminated and with poor sanitation, handwashing with soap can limit the transmission of various pathogens.
The benefits of hand hygiene extend beyond the prevention of infectious diseases. Proper hand hygiene practices can also promote other essential hygiene behaviours, such as facial cleanliness to reduce trachoma transmission.
Additionally, it reduces the burden of preventable diseases, leading to better healthcare-seeking behaviour and an overall improvement in the quality of care.
Moreover, hand hygiene plays a significant role in reducing antimicrobial resistance. By minimising the need for antibiotics to treat infectious diseases, it extends the useful life of last-line-of-defence antimicrobials.
Additionally, it curtails the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, which can lead to sepsis and untreatable infections, further exacerbating the global health crisis.
Research shows that even when people have access to soap and water and understand the importance of handwashing with soap, proper handwashing is not always practised.
Achieving the necessary behaviour change for habitual handwashing is challenging, and this is where the private sector can step in and sponsor programmes aimed at sensitising the population on the importance of handwashing.
It is easier to prevent communicable diseases through handwashing than to seek treatment in hospitals. We must change our behaviours and succeed in fighting these diseases.
This is a stark reminder that access to clean water and sanitation facilities is a basic human right that remains out of reach for millions.
The financial costs associated with poor hand hygiene are substantial, impacting both individuals and healthcare systems.
Direct costs include medical expenses incurred by households or governments for treating preventable diseases.
These costs can be alleviated through simple and cost-effective interventions like handwashing. Non-medical costs, including out-of-pocket payments and travel expenses for seeking healthcare, further burden households.
Indirect costs, such as income loss due to sickness, school absence, and decreased productivity, compound the economic toll of poor hand hygiene.
Hand hygiene is not just a matter of convenience; it is a matter of life and death. It’s a fundamental right that should be accessible to all. The private sector, along with government efforts, can play a pivotal role in making this a reality.
Let us remember that clean hands are within reach, and by embracing proper hand hygiene, we can save lives, reduce the burden on healthcare systems, and promote a healthier, more prosperous society for all.
By JAMES MOKORO