PESHAWAR: The health experts have called for creating awareness about the importance of handwashing among the masses to overcome certain communicable diseases, including diarrhoea and other childhood illnesses. Diarrhoea is stated a major cause of mortality and morbidity among the Pakistani children despite decades of concerted efforts and special programmes. Except one small event, neither the government and its Health Department nor non-governmental organisations (NGOs) felt the need to organise any event in connection with the World Handwashing Day, which is observed across the globe on October 15 every year to create awareness among the masses about the importance of handwashing. The health experts believe that handwashing, which protects against communicable diseases, can be promoted through public awareness programmes and development partners. According to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2013, about 53,000 children under five years of age die because of diarrhoea, the disease directly linked with poor quality of water, sanitation and hygiene. Like other three provinces, the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its adjoining Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) is very alarming as children don’t have access the required facilities in urban and rural areas. A paediatrician and Medical Director Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) Peshawar, Dr Nadeem Khawar said that events must be organised on world days as by doing so they can create awareness among the masses about importance of these days. “Unfortunately, some events are being held only for public consumption but my view is that we must arrange events and create more awareness about the importance of these days. Even our religion Islam stresses the need for cleanliness. And being a doctor I must say that half of the disease can be prevented by washing hands,” the senior paediatrician observed. Dr Nadeem Khawar said much stress is always laid on cleanliness in the hospitals in the West. However, he complained neither the doctors nor the patients and their attendants take cleanliness seriously in Pakistan and other third world countries. “Unfortunately, handwashing is very poor in Pakistan and especially in our hospitals, there is no culture of handwashing. One of the main reasons of growing infections in our hospitals is because of the lack of handwashing,” Dr Nadeem Khawar noted. In the West, he said, after examining a patient, the doctor is required to wash hands before going to see another. “There should be an ongoing process of creating awareness about the importance of handwashing as it can prevent many diseases. If you avoid diseases, you save resources and time,” the paediatrician opined. Another paediatrician in Peshawar expressed concern over lack of interest on the part of government as well as NGOs about children and the multiple diseases they are faced with. “I wish we had a vision to plan and prevent such happenings and deaths,” he said. According to the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, out of every 1000 live births almost 104 children die before reaching their fifth birthday. The health experts believe that lives can be saved by improving water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and provision of access to health services.Studies and researches proved that the handwashing with soap can avert the incidence of diarrhoea and pneumonia by up to 16 percent. This year’s Global Handwashing Day followed the historic adoption of the new United Nations’ Global Goals on Sustainable Development for 2030. The goals, which were agreed on by 191 countries, including Pakistan, contain a goal focussed on access to water, sanitation and hygiene for all. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), providing soap and improving hygiene practices can cut cases of diarrhoea by up to 53 per cent. The World Handwashing Day not only helps increase awareness, but also enhances understanding about the importance of handwashing. As per interviews held in 2012-13, it was observed thatthere were designated places for handwashing in 85 percent of households, with little variation in urban and rural households (84 percent and 85 percent, respectively). Places for handwashing were observed in more than 85 percent of the households in all regions, other than Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (67 percent). Among the households where the place of handwashing was observed, 64 percent had soap and water, two percent had water and other cleansing agents such as ash, mud, sand, etc, and 26 percent had water only. Overall, 8 percent of households do not have water, soap, or any cleansing agent in places of handwashing. In rural households, 11 percent are more likely than urban households, 1 percent) don’t have water, soap, or any cleansing agent. Eighty-eight percent of urban households have soap and water, as compared with 52 percent of rural households.In Pakistan, majority of the people spend their hard-earned money on treatment of diseases that could be easily prevented through proper handwashing with soap.The health experts believe that media can play a vital role by creating awareness about the importance of cleanliness and handwashing among the masses.
