February 5, 2008 – Simple hand washing can reduce episodes of diarrhea in daycares, schools, hospitals and in communities. And this, in both rich and poor countries, concludes an analysis of 14 studies.
According to the results, promoting handwashing reduced diarrhea cases by about 30% in all settings studied. “This reduction is comparable to that which could be obtained by providing drinking water in certain poor countries”, maintain the authors of the study.
The studies analyzed2 were conducted in institutions in high-income countries and in communities in middle- and low-income countries.
The promotion of handwashing, which targeted both children and adults, was carried out through multiple interventions: information sessions, focus groups, educational programs, promotional campaigns using posters, leaflets , radio or television announcements, etc.
According to this study, all strategies are good to encourage hand washing to avoid contamination. The ultimate goal, however, remains that of instituting proper hand washing and establishing good long-term habits.
In low- and middle-income countries, diarrhea is a major public health problem that kills millions of people each year, especially young children. Diarrhea is spread through direct contact with feces or through food or water.
Emmanuelle Bergeron – PasseportSanté.net
1. Ejemot RI, Ehiri JE, Meremikwu MM. Hand washing for preventing diarrhoea, Cochrane Reviews, 23 January 2008. For the summary of the study: www.cochrane.org. [Consulté le 5 février 2008].
2. Among the 14 studies analyzed, eight of them were carried out in institutions such as schools, hospitals or daycare centers, with a total of 7,711 educators and children aged 7 and under, in North America. North, Australia and Europe. Five studies were conducted in the community, either in villages or households, with 8,055 people including mothers, caregivers and children from various countries in Asia and Africa. Only one study was conducted in a high-risk setting involving 148 AIDS patients who attended a clinic in the United States.