Hygiene and sanitation play a key role in preventing gastrointestinal infections. Most common gastrointestinal illnesses encountered frequently in health services are indigestion, upper abdominal pain and diarrhea. Adults usually complain of heart burn, acid brash, upper abdominal pain, and bloating. When investigated for H. pylori bacteria, most of them turn out to be positive. Enquiry about their eating habits reveals that majority are using tap water or direct ground water supply. Also, consumption of street food seems to be an important culprit. We all know that food and drinks are handled with bare hands and many vendors don’t even bother to cover it. It can therefore be determined that poor hygiene contributes to the spreading of H. pylori. A meta-analysis shows that the prevalence of H. pylori is 44.3% worldwide.
Poor hygiene in children makes them more susceptible to worms and bacterial infections leading to diarrhea. Diarrhea is the leading cause childhood morbidity and mortality around the world, particularly in developing countries and rural areas. The chief causes of acquiring these infections are not using soap and not taking regular showers especially after getting exposed to dirt. Adults also transmit infections like typhoid and cholera due to poor food handling. Cooking and serving with unwashed hands also spreads infections. Poor treatment facilities cause spread of waterborne diseases. In Pakistan, drinking water sanitation systems and drainage lines run parallel to one another, which causes leakages and intermixing resulting in the deterioration of water quality. In most cities of Pakistan, ground water supply contains various pathogens including many viral, bacterial, and protozoan agents causing 2.5 million deaths from endemic diarrheal disease each year. Hence, tap water is not safe for drinking. Drinking water must be made safe either by chlorination, boiling, or filtering.
It is the responsibility of the educated community members to spread awareness among their friends and family. Hand hygiene and safe drinking water practice should be encouraged at homes, schools and work place across the country. We hope to protect our adults and children from deadly infections and see health and fitness flourish.
DR NASEEM AMIN DHEDHI
KARACHI
