Hand-washing helps prevent many diseases: Thai Health Department

[webfact]

Hand-washing helps prevent many diseases: Health Department

 

File photo

 

NONTHABURI, 16 October 2018 (NNT) – The Department of Health is raising the public awareness on the importance of proper hand-washing which helps prevent many gastrointestinal diseases. 

Department of Health Deputy Director-General Danai Teewunda revealed the United Nations has named 15 October as Global Hand Washing Day to raise the public awareness, particularly among children and young people, on the importance of proper hand sanitization with the use of soap and water, which can prevent the infection of many gastrointestinal diseases such as diarrhea, hepatitis, dysentery, and cholera. 

The Department of Health has upheld the theme of "Let's give everyone a clean hand," promoting proper hand washing as a habit among children and youths for a healthier lifestyle.

According to UNICEF, some 3.5 million children worldwide die from diarrhoea annually. Students are a group of people in Thailand that the related agencies must pay attention with their hand washing technique, as children regularly pick up toys or items around themselves, while the rainy season provides a scenario where children's hands may be in contact with dirty water, posing a risk of germs intake unless they wash their hands thoroughly before touching their bodies. 

The Department of Health's 2017 survey shows 53.1% of students at 10 years old regularly wash their hands with soap and water before eating, while 45.4% of students at 12 years old do so. 67.6% of 10 years old students report they wash their hands with soap and water after going to the toilet, same as76.2% of 12 years old students. 

He said washing hands with water and soap is an effective infection control, and should be done before cooking, before eating, after using the toilet, after touching dirty items, before and after visiting patients, after touching or playing with pets, and after arriving hime from outside. Alcohol gel is also a good alternative to water and soap.

 

-- nnt 2018-10-16

[faraday]

Wow.....you don't say!!!

 

Semmelweis must have been right after all!!!

 

????

[Tailwagsdog]

HOORAY !!!

[Lungstib]

The last 10 years has seen great improvement in the standards of toilets in Thailand but I still hardly ever find soap in the bathrooms at major petrol stations or in many roadside restaurants. I have lodged verbal complaints and even been told to try the women's section. In a country where the left hand is the main cleaning component I find this a little disturbing. 

[Tailwagsdog]

I tell the babysitter, i tell the kids, i tell the kitchen hand, i may as well save my breath and sack'em all.

[SheungWan]

4 minutes ago, Tailwagsdog said:

I tell the babysitter, i tell the kids, i tell the kitchen hand, i may as well save my breath and sack'em all.

Doctor at hospital entered toilet, did his business and then walked straight out. No wash.

[tifino]

 

Filed in my today's handy hints bin 

 

next will be that the D-G has next found on Google, that a toilet seat is more hygenic than a teatowel and facewasher

 

and that the dirtiest thing in a public toilet, is actually the door handle that you have to put your hand onto, to get out of there...

(you might have washed your hands at the basin; but did the fella do the same before you? ) 

[Darcula]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

after using the toilet

 

Then one could actually shake hands with people, making the wai redundant.

 

[zzaa09]

6 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

Then one could actually shake hands with people, making the wai redundant.

 

Yet the extended hand to greet seems a bit crude....and uncivilised.

 

????

[tifino]

1 minute ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Waiting for the anecdote that Thais are really clean people because the two prostitutes you found outside the Nana Hotel showered before and after short time sex with you.

wait no more!!

[Esso49]

Another thread is running on the breakdown of the educational system.   Health education,  such as hand washing, was also considered part of the educational requirement when I went to school, as teachers were constantly telling us to wash our hands.  It seems like there is an unconnect somewhere in the Thai system.  Of course if the parents don't start this process of telling their children to wash their hands properly, and explaining why they should be doing it so children can understand, then that is the root cause anyway.

[Jai Dee]

A completely unnecessary anti-Thai troll comment has been removed from this thread.

[metisdead]

Another troll post has been removed. 

[Cereal]

Shocking that this is news at all in 2018. 

 

I recall about 10 years ago or so reading an article in the local newspaper that registered nurses -RN's - were going to be taught how to give injections by practicing on oranges. 

 

That's like telling a medical school graduate it's time for stethoscope class.

[tifino]

 in some cases, an orange reflects particular skins

 

 

but they'd have to practice with Guavas to get it right for jabbing farangs

 

 

[PatOngo]

I was of the opinion that they washed their hands quite regularly...……...of responsibility!

[Lupatria]

1 hour ago, Cereal said:

Shocking that this is news at all in 2018. 

...especially in a society where people grow up with the saying:

One hand washes the other.

[sensei]

Food vendors should be made aware of this.
 

Some handle FOOD and money without even bothering about what could be passed on.

[zyphodb]

Look in the schools, kids are encouraged to wash their hands but there is NEVER any soap...

[George Aylesham]

Though in general public toilets in Thailand are kept very clean (and don't usually smell) I rarely see people washing their hands although washing facilites are provided. One reason why I always try to open toilet doors with my elbow - not always easy!

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, Lupatria said:

...especially in a society where people grow up with the saying:

One hand washes the other.

Do they?

 

As far as I'm aware this idiom is the English version (not translation) of the Latin phrase 'quid pro quo'. It has nothing to do with Thailand , nor does it have anything to do with the washing of hands!

 

[connda]

It now requires a government agency to inform the populace about what our Mom's told us kids over 60 years ago? 

It's a new age, uh? <head-shake>

 

 

[connda]

44 minutes ago, George Aylesham said:

Though in general public toilets in Thailand are kept very clean (and don't usually smell) I rarely see people washing their hands although washing facilites are provided. One reason why I always try to open toilet doors with my elbow - not always easy!

Interesting.  I often see men washing their hands after using the facilities at public restrooms.  I venture that the proportion of Thais who wash vs those who don't is similar as you'd find in any Western country, or more so.  If you haven't noticed, Thais are very cleanliness conscious in regard to personal hygiene.  More so than Westerners, well, except for my Mom. She was a one-women army in a War Against Bacteria. 

[ReMarKable]

Talk about the necessity of hand washing to the owner of S S a bilingual school in Nonthaburi.  Students either brought their own soap or used plain water, if they even washed their hands.  I have only seen a Thai man wash his hands a few times at a Central or other store's public toilet.  How about the nose picking?  Is this hygienic?  Saw a cook in a Fuji restaurant picking away.  Lost my appetite.  Not sure why this form of etiquette never  caught on,  I know most forms of etiquette in western society originated from the commoners copying Royalty.

[Redline]

I have observed about 1 percent clean hands with soap and water in BKK.  The people that prepare your food have not washed their hands for sure-nasty 

[ReMarKable]

3 minutes ago, Redline said:

I have observed about 1 percent clean hands with soap and water in BKK.  The people that prepare your food have not washed their hands for sure-nasty 

Or the ones who carry the bowl of rice to your table with thumb firmly implanted amongst the rice.

[YaiJung]

Observing a Thai washing their hands after using the restroom is like spotting a snow leopard.

[aussie11950]

Unfortunately very true.

Many garage stop, toilets do not have soap.

I believe 95 percent of food vendors do not wash their hands after handling money or touching dirty objects.

Cleaning tables with only soapy water and not disinfectant, also very common.

Some users of disposable gloves will handle contaminated items and then take off the gloves with their hands.

Hygiene is unfortunately, poorly understood in Thailand.

 

[Vacuum]

6 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I still hardly ever find soap in the bathrooms at major petrol stations or in many roadside restaurants.

Would you use a soap from a petrol station bathroom that have been used on unknown parts of the body of the last 'guest'? I for one would not.

[Lungstib]

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

Would you use a soap from a petrol station bathroom that have been used on unknown parts of the body of the last 'guest'? I for one would not.

The petrol stations I referred to had dispensers on the wall but which remained empty for ever. I dont think I have ever seen a bar of soap in any public toilet.