Washing Hands Benefits

Regular hand washing with soap and hot water saves lives. Historically, many deaths, particularly in childbirth, were caused by poor hygiene on the part of those tending the women. In the 1840s in Vienna, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis noted that the death rate among women in the delivery room staffed by doctors was three times higher than in the delivery room staffed by midwives. He connected this to the fact that the doctors did not wash their hands.

Staphylococcal Infections

• Hand washing is particularly important when dealing with patients.

  Regular hand washing with hot water helps prevents the passing on of staphylococcal and streptococcal bacteria. People habitually touch their faces, noses and mouths without even noticing. Germs can be passed on to others by touch. This is particularly important when you are dealing with unwell people or people whose immune systems are compromised.

Diarrheal Infection

• October 15 has been designated by the United Nation's General Assembly.as the Global Hand Washing Day. The year 2008 also was designated the International Year of Sanitation.

  Diarrhea is the second-most common cause of death in children under 5. According to the UN, a review of 30 studies found that hand washing cuts the incidence of diarrhea by nearly a half. The Global Hand Washing day is an important way of raising awareness of this simple but very effective way of saving many lives.

Respiratory Infections

• Respiratory infection is another common cause of death, particularly among malnourished children in poorer parts of the world. A 2004 study among urban squatter settlement children in Pakistan found that hand washing with hot water and soap reduced the number of pneumonia-related infections in children under the age of 5 by more than 50 percent.