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International Roadshow 2006
2006 saw the Hygiene Council embark on an international roadshow designed to highlight the importance of good hygiene practice around the world, both in the home and community.
The roadshow took place over an 11-week period, July – September, with six events held in Kuala Lumpur, London, Johannesburg, New York, Toronto and Dubai. Most of the countries held two events; one for tailored for healthcare professionals (GPs, infectious disease nurses, hospital staff, etc) and one for media.
At each event Professor Oxford, together with the respective local Hygiene Council member, presented on the global threat of today’s infections. They also gave an overview of the results from an international multiple choice survey that was commissioned in 9 countries (UK, Italy, Germany, USA, Canada, India, Malaysia, UAE and South Africa). The survey aimed to measure perceptions and attitudes towards hygiene around the world. As a result both International and local perspectives on hygiene were presented together with recommendations for improved hygiene practice from the council.
The events were very well attended and received with interest and enthusiasm. The overriding message conveyed was that everyone could do something to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases – effectively breaking the chain of transmission – by implementing good hygiene practices in the home and in the community at large.
Key Learnings from the Roadshow
Professor Oxford
International & UK
- Of utmost importance in prevention of infection is hand washing. 80% of all infections are transmitted via direct and indirect contact.
- Preventing infection eliminates: the need to treat and worry of antibiotic resistance.
- Chemical disinfectants play important role in controlling microbial contaminants on environmental surfaces - Help minimise risk of disease transmission and need for medical treatment.
- Deliver good, clear, and simple educational information on good hygiene practice.
- Should there be an outbreak of avian flu, reliance on a vaccine stockpile alone is not prudent:
- Not known if vaccines for avian flu will be 100% effective
- Must go hand-in-hand with good hygiene measures
Dr Lee
Malaysia
- Four main methods to achieve good hygiene to protect the family:
- Cleaning (hands, utensils)
- Heat (washing and cooking)
- Disinfectants (for surfaces, toys, toilets)
- Drying
- Highlighted importance of environmental cleaning and disinfection - cleaning must precede disinfection.
- If you do nothing else, wash your hands and use targeted disinfection.
Professor Exner
Germany
- New perception of hygiene required as way to control infection risks.
- New assessment of home required as reservoir of pathogens in special situations.
- Knowledge of the most important hygiene strategies (hand washing, cleaning, disinfection) why, when, where.
- Reinforce targeted hygiene concept:
- Separate keeping of raw and prepared food
- Frequent cleaning of dish cloths
- Casual washing at 60°C
Professor Signorelli
Italy
- Italians underestimate household risks for children.
- It is important to increase awareness of domestic sources among young people and the high social classes.
- Increase awareness of this problem in order to reduce the risk of infections contracted in the household environment.
Professor Tierno
USA
- Preventing infection eliminates the need to treat and the worry of antibiotic resistance.
- In terms of loss of life and money spent, costliest diseases in U.S:
- AIDS
- Food-borne illnesses
- Nosocomial infections
- More than half of deaths in these three categories could be eliminated by
- Safer sex
- Proper food hygiene
- Hand washing
- Proper food hygiene is important. Not only ordinary household kitchen hygiene but also from:
- Growing crops and raising livestock to processing and packaging
- Livestock slaughtering, meat inspections, cleaning and packaging techniques leave much to be desired from the point of view of hygiene
- Handwashing
- 80% of all infections are transmitted through contact (direct and indirect). In U.S. alone ~100,000 deaths can be attributed to nosocomial infections. The bottom line is that clean hands can be the most powerful weapon on earth.
- Encourage use of disinfectants like alcohol, bleach, etc.
- Future Perspectives:
- From a public health perspective, the world’s population is truly one big family
- We are becoming better prepared as a united world to understand and meet the challenges that confront us
- We can use our knowledge both to restore health when illnesses strike and to prevent illnesses before they happen
Solution requires a combination of good hygiene, judicious use of germicides, proper education, as well as international political and monetary cooperation.
…An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Dr Low
Canada
- The evidence suggests that increased adherence to hand hygiene reduces respiratory illness in the community, diarrhoeal illness in the community and hospital-acquired infections by 20-50%
- Recommended hand hygiene procedures:
- Alcohol base hand rub: Apply to palm of one hand, rub hands together until all the surfaces are covered and let it dry
- Handwashing:
- Wet hands with water, apply antimicrobial soap and rub hands together for at least 15 seconds.
- Rinse hands and dry them with a disposable towel.
- Turn off the tap with the disposable towel
Professor Madani
Saudi Arabia
- Contact transmission (direct and indirect) is the most important and frequent mode of transmission of infections
- Hand hygiene is the single most important practice to reduce the transmission of infectious agents. The term “hand hygiene” includes:
- Hand washing with either plain or antiseptic-containing soap and water
- Use of alcohol-based products (gels, rinses, foams) containing an emollient that do not require the use of water
Professor Schoub
South Africa
- Highlighted importance of ongoing maintenance of public health programs, education and good hygiene practices, and effective surveillance and monitoring programmes
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