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Five-step plan aims to reduce infection-related deaths in young children
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The Global Hygiene Council reported that more than 3 million children aged 5 years and younger die of mainly preventable infectious diseases each year. Of these deaths, almost 1 million are caused by pneumonia, and more than 700,000 are caused by diarrhea.
In their “Small Steps for Big Change” report, The Global Hygiene Council (GHC) recommends a simple, 5-step plan for families, communities and health care professionals to improve hygiene practices and control the spread of infections.
GHC experts have developed a five-step plan to improve hygiene practices and reduce mortality in children worldwide.
Source: Global Hygiene Council
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“Poor personal hygiene and home hygiene practices are widely recognized as the main causes of infection transmission for colds, influenza, and diarrhea,” John Oxford, PhD, emeritus professor of virology at the University of London and chair of the Global Hygiene Council, said in the press release. “Handwashing with soap has been shown to reduce diarrheal deaths by 50% and by developing this 5-step plan, we want to deliver a clear and consistent message about how small changes in hygiene practices could have a big impact on the health and well-being of children around the world.”
According to the report, 52% of families do not increase surface disinfection at home during cold and influenza season, and 31% of reported foodborne outbreaks occur in private homes, indicating a lack of hygiene practices.
The 5-step plan, developed by GHC pediatricians, infectious disease specialists and public health researchers from the U.K., France, the U.S., Nigeria and South Africa, is focused on achieving “big changes” by taking “small steps,” such as protecting unvaccinated infants, improving hand hygiene, minimizing the risk for consuming contaminated foods and breaking the chain of transmission. The potential advantages that can result from adherence to these changes include cutting the incidence of diarrhea by half, and reducing the rate of common infections such as gastroenteritis, colds and influenza in children and infants.
“It is unacceptable that largely preventable infections such as diarrhea are still one of the biggest killers of children globally,” Oxford adds in the release. “Families, communities, and healthcare professionals need to acknowledge that improved hygiene is effectively a first line of defense and that adopting better hygiene practices could have a dramatic and positive impact of the lives of young children worldwide.” — by Savannah Demko
For more information:
Global Hygiene Council. Small Steps for Big Change. 2016. http://www.hygienecouncil.org/our-work/. Accessed Nov. 22, 2016.
Disclosure: Infectious Disease News was unable to confirm relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.