Homes are home to infections, says report
By IANSThursday, October 21, 2010
NEW DELHI - Household is where the maximum number of infections are born, a global hygiene council (GHC) study report said Thursday.
“Nearly 90 percent of infections originate in our households because of unhygienic conditions, said Narendra Saini, representative of the GHC.
The main source of bacterial and viral infections are door handles, refrigerators, towels and uncleaned floors at homes.
“It is not the dirt that we clean, it is the absence of germs that makes a surface hygienic and infection-free. The method of cleaning is much more important than the frequency of cleaning, Saini added.
The study, conducted in nine countries across the globe, was a joint venture of GHC and Reckitt Benckiser.
“Diseases such as swine flu can be prevented if proper hygiene is maintained. But a lot of awareness is required to tell people about the ways of maintaining hygiene, V.K. Monga, chairman of municipal health committee in Delhi, told IANS.
“Civic bodies and GHC are working on awareness creation programmes in select schools of Delhi. Our target group for the programme are children, Monga added.
According to the GHC study, nearly 60 percent of diseases in India are communicable in nature.
