SAFE drinking water and sanitation (W&S) are vital to health.

In Pakistan, 97,900 people die annually owing to poor W&S. Further, 54,000 children under five die of diarrhoea caused by poor W&S services. In Pakistan, W&S-related diseases claim some 60pc of the total number of child mortality cases.

International Journal of Epidemiology shows that 48 per cent reduction in diarrhoea can be achieved by handwashing with soap. This is a major finding, in the context of rural Sindh, where village women still consider infants’ faeces as harmless and, do not wash their hands with soap, after cleaning the infants’ bottom.

For handwashing, three ingredients are most essential: use of soap (ash can be used, where soap is not available); vigorous rubbing and scrubbing between fingers and fingernails; and the hand-washing time.

The writer researched on an appropriate hand-washing time by looking at many resources (WHO, Unicef, US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, etc) The review showed that while the handwashing time varies from 10 to 60 seconds, the most advocated handwashing time was found to be 15 to 20 seconds. And, in most cases, it was advocated that if the hands are visibly soiled, ingrained with dirt, or oiled, the handwashing time should be appropriately (based on commonsense) increased. Running water was preferred but is not essential.

Handwashing for 15 to 20 seconds would apply when toilets are used, before cooking food and before eating food.

F.H. Mughal

Karachi