Qech commemorates Global Hand Washing Day
Malawi today (Friday) joins the rest of the world in commemorating Global Hand Washing Day with a call on individuals to embrace handwashing to save lives.
Speaking during a commemoration ceremony at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital held on Thursday, nurse responsible for quality issues at the hospital Tinnie Mthuzi said handwashing prevents transmission of infection by 50 percent.
“We can prevent 30 percent of waterborne infection and 20 percent of respiratory infection through hand washing,” she said.
According to Mthuzi, the coming in of the Covid-19 pandemic has helped to instil the handwashing culture in Malawians thereby reducing the rate of infectious diseases.
She said, for example, this year, the hospital has not registered any cholera case attributing the positive strides to the handwashing culture.
She further said in terms of waterborne diseases in children’s wards, the hospital registered 298 cases in the first quarter, 150 cases in the second quarter and only five in the third quarter of 2021.
The event was organised by Qech, Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust and Médecins sans frontiers.
In her remarks, MLW Trust study coordinator Helen Mangochi shandwashinghing helps save government revenuefewerless people are sick and in need of medical attention.
“It is important that all individuals not only healthcare workers, embrace handwashing to maintain hygiene because if fewer people are sick the revenue that could be used for medical treatment could be used for other development projects,” said Mangochi.
The theme for this year’s global handwashing day is achieving hand hygiene at the point of care.
CAPTION
One of the staff at Médecins sans frontières demonstrating how to wash hands properly.
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