Keep the Hand Hygiene for Health

Science and technology may be making a nation be great. However, the progress of a nation would be difficult to achieve if you do not have one of the important foundations, namely health.

However, public awareness of the importance of health has not been adequate. Based on data from 2010 Health Research Association, the national percentage of people who smoke every day as much as 28.2 percent of households have latrines new healthy 55.4 percent, mothers who do a pregnancy with a 6-8 type of examination is only 56.8 percent, and the habit of washing hands with soap less than 34 percent.

The incidence of various infectious diseases in Indonesia, such as diarrhea, thypus, and dysentery are also quite high. Outbreaks of diarrhea were reported in 16 provinces in 2006 (according to World Bank data). Meanwhile thypus cases in Indonesia the average estimate of 900,000 cases per year and 91 percent occurred at the age of 3-19 years.

In fact, infectious diseases can be prevented with simple and inexpensive steps such as washing hands with soap. A study conducted Katie Greendland from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, found that washing hands with soap at critical time can prevent the incidence of diarrhea by up to 47 percent.

Conversely, do not wash hands with soap at critical moments can cause diarrhea, including cholera, pneumonia, influenza pandemic, the new-born infections, and infections among AIDS patients.

"The bacteria that cause diarrhea are actually derived from human waste brought flies, water, soil, and fingers that contaminate food. Prevention is quite simple, ie, good sanitation and hand washing with soap," he said in media education held PT.Unilever Indonesia in Jakarta (14/10/11).

World Health Organization (WHO) also stated that both of our hands is the main route entry of germs into the body. That is why, in addition to running a healthy lifestyle, the habit of washing hands with soap will reduce and prevent the occurrence of disease.

But the fact is, the people of Indonesia have not been considered important hand washing. This was reflected in the research conducted Yunita Wahyuningrum, health communication researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which found lack of awareness in the public health aspects.

From her research revealed a new community washing her hands using soap if hands look dirty or smelly. "Visual aspect to be a major boost in washing hands with soap. If hands look clean, then they suggest washing hands using enough water," she said.

Added to her, people still consider washing hands with soap is a waste of time activities. "The reasons do not have the sink is also a major cause of why many people are reluctant to wash her hands," she added.