Do you need boiled water to wash hands before eating?
Feb 15, 2006
Some people know that we need to wash hands before eating anything. But what they don’t know is with what type of water.
By Thomas Pere
Some people know that we need to wash hands before eating anything. But what they don’t know is with what type of water.
Some use any water, others wash in communal washing basins, while others do not bother whether their hands are clean. There are others who rinse their mouths with water from cans meant for washing hands in restaurants without fear of contamination.
Bistro Nsubuga, a businessman on Wilson Road, Kampala, says it is not wise to trust any business in Kampala about safe water. “When I wash my hands, I still demand for cutlery because they are often dry, unlike my fingers, which remain wet till eating time,†he said.
Gloria Nakitto, a food vendor on Nakivubo Road, Kampala says, “All the water I give for drinking is boiled. But the one for washing hands, we fetch it from standpipes and we do not boil it.â€
Simon Muhumuza, the public relations officer, Kampala City Council, says it is risky to use and drink water from wells and springs. “We discourage people from taking it because it could be contaminated. If you must use it, then boil it first,†Muhumuza warned.
Water quality surveillance carried out by the Ministry of Health confirms that water is poorly handled during collection, transportation, storage and use by communities. Water-borne diseases, such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid have remained major causes of death in many communities, accounting up to 45% of all water-borne diseases, according to statistics from local health centres.
Robert Odongo, a senior health environmentalist in health ministry, says water should be boiled for 15 minutes to kill all germs. Then, it should be kept in utensils with small openings to avoid contamination.
To keep safe from water-borne diseases, you need not to be an expert in bacteriology.
The biggest responsibility of maintaining a safe water chain lies more on the households and individual users.
According to John Bosco Isunju, a public health specialist at the institute of Public Health, Makerere University, says while it requires a certain amount of pathogens to get infected, daily intake of these organisms can cause typhoid and diarrhoea.
Ends
Some people know that we need to wash hands before eating anything. But what they don’t know is with what type of water.
Some use any water, others wash in communal washing basins, while others do not bother whether their hands are clean. There are others who rinse their mouths with water from cans meant for washing hands in restaurants without fear of contamination.
Bistro Nsubuga, a businessman on Wilson Road, Kampala, says it is not wise to trust any business in Kampala about safe water. “When I wash my hands, I still demand for cutlery because they are often dry, unlike my fingers, which remain wet till eating time,†he said.
Gloria Nakitto, a food vendor on Nakivubo Road, Kampala says, “All the water I give for drinking is boiled. But the one for washing hands, we fetch it from standpipes and we do not boil it.â€
Simon Muhumuza, the public relations officer, Kampala City Council, says it is risky to use and drink water from wells and springs. “We discourage people from taking it because it could be contaminated. If you must use it, then boil it first,†Muhumuza warned.
Water quality surveillance carried out by the Ministry of Health confirms that water is poorly handled during collection, transportation, storage and use by communities. Water-borne diseases, such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid have remained major causes of death in many communities, accounting up to 45% of all water-borne diseases, according to statistics from local health centres.
Robert Odongo, a senior health environmentalist in health ministry, says water should be boiled for 15 minutes to kill all germs. Then, it should be kept in utensils with small openings to avoid contamination.
To keep safe from water-borne diseases, you need not to be an expert in bacteriology.
The biggest responsibility of maintaining a safe water chain lies more on the households and individual users.
According to John Bosco Isunju, a public health specialist at the institute of Public Health, Makerere University, says while it requires a certain amount of pathogens to get infected, daily intake of these organisms can cause typhoid and diarrhoea.
Ends