I am a huge believer in forging good cleanliness habits, especially for children and with child care givers.
Primarily, it is extremely important for us all to maintain good hand washing habits, sanitiser aside.
Many diseases, including diarrhoea, are transmitted by a failure to practise basic hygiene. Diarrhoea is the third leading cause of deaths among children under five and presents a major public health problem in South Africa1.
The 2014 General Household Survey (GHS) recorded more than 60 000 childhood diarrhoea cases per month, with approximately 9 000 child deaths in the same year2.
Research shows that washing hands with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to prevent diarrhoea and can reduce diarrhoea deaths by more than 40%3.
As South African parents, we need to forge and practise good hand washing habits, to the benefit of children. Let’s not risk the health of our families.
So, in light of these staggering statistics, I have partnered with Dettol in October in celebration of Global Handwashing Day to encourage better habits amongst ourselves as moms and dads, and subsequently, our children. Because, as Dr Susan Louw of the National Health Laboratory Service highlights, “one of the major risk factors in the spread of diarrhoea is that people do not follow good hygiene habits, we can change this behaviour by explaining the value of handwashing, and by making it easier for children to wash their hands.”
Something as simple as access to soap and water can save a life! And as Rajeev Khandelwal, Regional Director Africa for Reckitt Benckiser Health says, “it is unfortunate that children have to suffer from diseases such as diarrhoea, which can be easily prevented by washing hands with soap. Dettol 100% supports and puts investment behind hand hygiene behaviour change in South Africa with its school hygiene programmes”.
ince 2006, Dettol has reached millions of children in South Africa with hand-hygiene promotion programmes that teach the importance of washing hands in preventing illnesses and how to effectively wash hands with soap and water.
In partnership with the Department of Basic Education, Dettol launched the Good Health is in Your Hands campaign in October, focussing on hand-hygiene behaviour change. The campaign aims to create awareness around and encourage handwashing with soap and water at critical times and encourages the public to pledge to wash hands with soap and water.
Pledging is free at www.Dettol.co.za and each pledge received will help provide resources to educate a child on hand hygiene – so get going and pledge online now!
Inspired by the internationally promoted Tippy Tap, Dettol will also be visiting schools and distributing 1 000 cost-effective handwashing stations in October. These stations or kits are created from locally sourced materials, including a two-litre bottle with a cap and a tube to funnel water together with posters that guide learners on how to wash hands effectively.
The initiative is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG Goal 3 aims to end preventable deaths of newborns and under-5 children by 2030 by 1) reducing newborn mortality to 12 per 1 000 live births in every country; and 2) cutting under-five mortality to 25 per 1 000 live births in every country.
- National hand hygiene behaviour change strategy 2016 – 2020
- Statistics South Africa 2010. General Household Survey
- Curtis V, Cairncross S. Effect of washing hands with soap on diarrhoea risk in the community: a systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis 2003: 3: 275-81.