Hand Finger

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March 28th, 2010 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

Hand Finger

How To Wash Hands Correctly

Global Handwashing Day started October 15, 2009 but should not be limited to that day. This Handwashing Day is an international campaign, brought to you by the Academy for Educational Development, CDC, UNICEF and several other partners. According to www.globalhandwashingday.org, "The challenge is to transform handwashing with soap from an abstract good idea into an automatic behavior performed in homes, schools, and communities worldwide. Turning handwashing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. A vast change in handwashing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015."

An American survey conducted on 2007 showed that while nine out of ten (92%) people said they always washed their hands after using a public restroom, an observational survey in 5 cities found the actual number to be more like 3 out of 4 (77%).

Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote.

Learn how to wash your hands correctly, according to ASM (American Society of Microbiology) and SDA (Soap and Detergent Association):

Use soap and warm, running water
Lather and wash all thoroughly, including wrists, palms, back of hands, fingers and under fingernails for at least 15 - 20 seconds
Rinse hands well under warm, running water
Dry hands thoroughly with a clean paper or cloth towel or air dryer
Apply hand lotion if desired to help prevent and soothe dry skin

About the Author

Fabio L. C. Pacheco invites you to visit Microbiology Online. If you liked this article, you will also enjoy Microbiology Online, a blog written with the objective to bring you the latest news about microbiology and help professionals from the pharmaceutical industry solve their issues.