Experts have said that typhoid fever is one disease individuals can avoid by regular hand washing and environmental cleanliness.
Dr Olufunmilola Makanjuola, University College Hospital’s infection control team lead, speaking at the hospital’s 2022 World Handwashing Celebration, said 90 percent of diseases like typhoid fever, diarrhoea and other diseases contracted from dirty surfaces and unclean hands could be avoided by imbibing regular hand washing with soap and water.
Makanjuola, a consultant medical microbiologist, stated that although there is the awareness that proper hand washing can eliminate the risk of transmission of infections contracted by touch, including COVID-19, its practice among Nigerians is less than five percent.
She said, “There are so many radio jingles and advertisements asking people to wash their hands and everybody knows about it, but its practice is low because many people don’t see the reason. Hand washing facilities are not available and there is no enforcement of hand washing.
“Many Veronica buckets at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that were used for hand washing have been converted into storage and for hawking food items in many markets now because there’s no enforcement anymore.
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“As we mark World Hygiene Day, Nigerians must remember hand washing. COVID 19 is still around and other infectious diseases are contracted through the hands. Everybody says they have a fever and that it is typhoid fever, if we thoroughly practise good hand hygiene, thyroid fever will be reduced to the barest minimum.”
UCH’s Infection control nurse, Mrs Adebimpe Gbaja, stated that the result of a survey in the hospital revealed that even healthcare practitioners do not wash their hands at the point of care as when due.
She noted, “after touching any patient and before carrying out another procedure on another patient, they are supposed to wash their hands, irrespective of having used a hand glove. But they don’t; they continue.
“We want to make hand hygiene a culture. It should be part of us to prevent infection and reduce hospital visits. Patients need to be aware that when you are touching them, it can affect them and so they can tell you to wash your hands because they themselves are washing their hands too.”
Head of the Department of Medical Microbiology, Professor Aderemi Kehinde, said there is a strong need for increased funding to ensure the provision of infection control measures, including constantly running water, in order to ensure adequate enforcement of hand washing within the hospital environment.
Professor Kehinde added: “There has been a recurrence of infectious diseases, especially Lassa fever, to which one or two hospital workers succumb. We strongly believe that it is as a result of lapses in strengthening our infection control policies of which hand washing is very, very crucial.”
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