Infectious diseases that are commonly spread through hand-to-hand contact include the common cold, flu and several gastrointestinal disorders, such as diarrhea, which kills almost two million children every year, making it the second leading killer of children world-wide.
This was stated by health professionals while talking to Business Recorder with reference to 'Global Hand Washing Day' being observed for the first time across the globe including Pakistan on October 15 with the theme of "Focus on School Children".
The day is aimed at raising awareness and promoting hand washing behaviour among people especially children was selected by UN General Assembly in accordance with year 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation.
Health professionals maintained that hand washing is a simple habit, something, most people do without thinking. Hand washing, when done properly, is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick, they said, adding that hand washing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infections.
Child Specialist Captain Dr Niaz (Retd) told this scribe opting the habit of hand washing is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015. He said that inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to food-related illnesses, such as salmonella and E. coli infection.
He said that Hepatitis-A is transmitted through the faecal/oral route, meaning it is spread primarily through food or water contaminated by feces from an infected person. It often occurs when people who have Hepatitis-A do not wash their hands after using the toilet and then prepare or serve food to others. Nevertheless, acute hepatitis can cause short-term jaundice, fatigue, which is severe in some people and itching, which is very common.
Anyone can get Hepatitis-A, but some groups are at increased risk, including children who go to day care, people who work in day care centers, people who live with someone who already has hepatitis A and people who travel to countries where hepatitis A is common, he added.