Household Hygiene: Wash Your Way to Wellness

We all know that cleanliness is important for good health. A clean environment and body minimize the chances of transmitting contagious diseases. 

As an organization that champions health and wellness for all, the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) promotes hygiene at home where we spend most of our time. 

Additionally, Global Handwashing Day (GHD) takes place on October 15, presenting an ideal opportunity to spread awareness and remind everyone why household hygiene is so vital. 

The truth is the simple practice of washing one’s hands can prevent illnesses and save lives.

Importance of Global Handwashing Day

Global Handwashing Day began in August 2008. It was established by the Global Handwashing Partnership (GHP) in Stockholm, Sweden. It uses the mnemonic WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) to encourage people around the world to maintain proper standards of cleanliness.

To illustrate its importance, hundreds of infants under the age of five die from diarrhea daily but this could be prevented with WASH. 

The habit of washing hands properly using soap and clean running water has a huge impact on our home environment and health. There is no undermining any form of help when it comes to water sanitation and hygiene as hand washing plays a critical role in keeping germs at bay and saving us from potential illnesses caused by infection. 

While contamination-caused illnesses don’t discriminate, there are sectors that are at a higher risk due to lack of water sanitation services, or exposure to disruptive circumstances such as calamities and wars.

Hygiene and Health

We educate communities and empower them to effect change in their households and beyond. We urge them to adopt hygiene practices starting with having access to clean water and sanitation supplies. This is important in proactively addressing health issues. 

Diseases like diarrhea and some respiratory tract infections can spread when pathogens like salmonella, norovirus, and E. coli get transferred around and onto human hands because of touching contaminated things and surfaces. 

Invisible Culprit

We are fighting an invisible enemy. Germs spread not just by failing to wash hands and surfaces after using the bathroom or changing a baby’s diaper. When we handle raw meat or vegetables that carry some traces of animal feces, the germs spread to our hands and to anything we touch inside our homes, schools, and other public places.

We sometimes fail to wash our hands consistently because we don’t see the dirt and complacently think our hands are clean enough. However, it is just the opposite. One gram of feces contains 1 trillion pathogens, able to cause a serious, preventable illness to an unsuspecting individual. 

In some communities, a lack of basic toilets also exacerbates the problem. But with a program-based, collaborative approach, we are able to address WASH issues and promote disease prevention in the process. 

Lack of Access To Clean Water

IMANA understands that there are communities worldwide with limited to no access to clean water. Unlike other parts of the world, clean tap water and soap are not readily available for people, preventing them from handwashing and other hygiene practices.

There are over 2 billion people worldwide who lack access to clean drinking water services and 1.5 billion people without access to sanitation services and infrastructure especially in third-world countries. 

As a result, untreated groundwaters and surface waters carry disease-causing germs and find their way to water sources used for drinking, bathing, irrigation, household cleaning, food preparation, and more. 

Given this dire scenario, there are many households around the world that inadvertently serve as grounds for pathogens, creating unsafe home environments for families and individuals.  

Disruptions That May Cause Diseases

Aside from inadequate water and sanitation services, natural and human-caused calamities also add to the household hygiene issue. When typhoons, floods, wars, or oil spills happen, local services are disrupted and access to basic needs becomes unavailable. Clean water and hygiene supplies are more difficult to access. 

Toxic chemicals contaminate waters while climate change causes extreme weather conditions that lead to water sources becoming more scarce and less safe. These make waterborne diseases more prevalent in affected communities. 

Economic activities are stalled, water and food sources become limited, animals die, healthcare services are disrupted, and hygiene is compromised. These predispose people to health risks and could lead to disease outbreaks in communities. 

It is therefore important to provide life-saving interventions like emergency medical response, water and sanitation projects, health center support, supplies and medicines, and professional development when these disasters happen.  

Illnesses Caused by Contamination 

Some of the common illnesses caused by pathogens include diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, polio, hepatitis A, and other infectious diseases affecting the skin, ear, respiratory, or eyes. 

These can be prevented through the simple practice of hand washing during key times of the day:

• Before, after, and while preparing food
• Before and after eating
• After using the bathroom
• Before and after washing a wound, or caring for a sick patient 
• After changing a child’s diaper
• After touching an animal, pet food, or treats
• After handling garbage
• After coughing or blowing your nose

Teaching children and adults to adopt these handwashing practices can save them from health risks. In addition to equipping them with knowledge, our water and sanitation projects provide them access to clean water, hygiene kits, and toilets. 

Join Our Mission 

We serve globally by advancing healthcare access in underserved communities. We do this by building a strong and engaged network of American-Muslim physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals in North America who share our advocacies. 

We provide emergency relief and healthcare support to conflict zones, calamity-stricken areas, and marginalized communities. You can help us save lives and promote wellness in various ways. You can volunteer, donate, become a financial partner, create a fundraiser, sign up for our CME events, join our mentorship programs, or participate in our webinars. 

Contact us today and become part of our mission to protect and save lives in vulnerable communities around the world.