Now, wash your hands please!

Getting dressed independently, feeding themselves, knowing right from wrong and being kind. These are all basic skills that children are taught from a young age, and take with them into their adult lives.

One important life skill that is drummed into us as children but can often fall by the wayside is the art of handwashing. Despite the proven health benefits, research shows that only 61% of respondents wash their hands properly with warm water and soap after using the toilet.

When you consider how easily germs are transmitted via direct and indirect touch, perhaps it’s not surprising that in other studies, faecal matter was found on one out of every six smartphones, or that a typical worker’s desk has hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than an office toilet seat? Or that money really is dirty? In a recent study 19 different types of bacteria, and two life-threatening superbugs including MRSA, were found on coins and notes. Listeria was also found on 20p, 50p and £1 coins and notes.

Quite frankly, these statistics are enough to make you feel queasy. Good hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to achieve health for yourself, your family and communities, and to prevent the spread of infection. That’s why we wholeheartedly support the World Health Organisation’s Clean Hands Save Lives campaign. This year, their worldwide advocacy day takes place on 5^th May 2019, and calls for everyone in the healthcare sector to practise good hand hygiene.