KABUL (Pajhwok): Washing hands with soap and clean water could prevent the spread of up to 80 percent of germs, officials said on Sunday.
Mawlavi Abdul Wali Haqqani, head of the Public Health Ministry’s Services Provision, termed compliance to hygiene as part of faith and termed washing of hands vital for the prevention of viruses and diseases.
He was addressing a gathering marking the World Hand Hygiene Day.
He said: “Healthiness is the right of the people of a society which should be achieved and efforts should be made for this purpose.”
He said everyone should wash hands before eating food, after eating food, and after coming out from the toilet.
He said: “Research in the world has shown that only washing hands with clean water and soap reduces 45% of diarrhea cases and 45% of respiratory diseases.”
Mawlavi Abdul Wali asked health sector officials in the centre and provinces to spread health-related message amongst people and consider it as part of their duty.
Dr. Jar Ahmad Ziyar, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), said that washing hands could help prevent eight percent of viral diseases.
He emphasized that the conducted research shows that a person touches his mouth, nose and eyes 4-5 times a day in one hour, and when the hands are contaminated with germs, germs are easily transmitted inside the person's body.
He said WHO cooperation would continue to cooperate with Afghanistan’s health ministry in promoting awareness regarding the importance of hand washing.
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