On May 5, the World Health Organisation raised awareness regarding hand hygiene and other good habits to control infection through the “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” global campaign.
In Portugal, the initiative was celebrated with an event in Lisbon organised by the Directorate-General for Health and part of the Programme for Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Resistance.
Washing your hands is a simple, effective and cheap way to prevent the spread of germs and to keep healthy. A community that abides by good hand hygiene standards can reduce cases of diarrhoea by 31% among the general population and 58% among people with a weak immune system, as well as reduce respiratory diseases, such as colds, by 21%.
The simple act of washing your hands is also a way to save money. At work, for example, better hygiene means fewer employees taking sick leave.
Precautions to take at home and at work:
• Wet and soap up your hands
• Rub the back of your hands with the palms
• Rub both your palms together
• Rub the back of your fingers
• Clean your fingernails
It is important for parents and teachers to show children the correct way to wash their hands.
In this column, Portuguese consumer watchdog DECO informs readers of various interesting issues and laws affecting consumer decisions.
