Why is ensuring body hygiene & sanitation important?

Although our bodies have developed to become extremely resistant towards different viruses and bacteria, it is still crucial that we prevent exposing our bodies to potential sicknesses and diseases by establishing good hygiene habits. What are some basic hygiene habits that you can think of?

  • Wash your hands!

There are millions of bacteria hidden under the crevices of your hands, which can easily enter your body as you unknowingly touch your face or consume foods that have come in contact with your hands. Therefore, it becomes all the more important to wash/sanitise your hands as frequently as possible, and with good technique. Here’s a video to demonstrate this idea further.

  • Clean water & food consumption

Eating the proper foods has an extraordinary effect on your body, and so the topic of eating clean will be a course chapter of its own! However, great importance should also be placed towards drinking clean water, so identifying when water is safe to drink and where potential sources of contamination (essentially, when bacteria enter into the water) is vital to prevent getting sick. How do you identify when water is safe to drink? Refer to this video for help.

Aside from what foods you eat, how you eat them also plays an important role. For example, developing good habits like washing your hands before a meal, or accepting that you can’t eat foods you have dropped onto the floor (full of bacteria) can all go a long way in preventing you from getting sick!

  • Oral Care

To avoid those stinky breathes, brush your teeth twice a day (morning & night) and floss daily. If you can, use mouthwash to kill bacteria and freshen your breath.

Replace your toothbrush every 3–5 months to prevent bacteria building up in your toothbrush. No one wants to be consuming those germs every day!

  • Nail & Foot Care

Trim your nails regularly to prevent dirt buildup and infections, and make sure to keep your feet clean and dry (whenever you can) to avoid fungal infections (Like the athlete’s foot).

  • Cough & Sneeze Etiquette

Cover your mouth with a tissue or elbow/hand o prevent spreading germs whenever you’re about to cough. Though it might seem obvious, but make sure you turn away from your friends whenever you’re sneezing/coughing because you wouldn’t want to be spreading germs and making everyone sick! Unless…? Afterwards, make sure to dispose of used tissues and wash/sanitize your hands to get rid of any germs on your hands.

Make it fun - Try some of these suggested activities to make sure you really understand what being hygienic means

  • Create posters on:

    • Different sources of water contamination in your community & solutions to tackle them

    • Why water & personal hygiene is important

    • Daily habits you can practice so you can maintain your personal & surrounding hygiene

  • Act it out: Teach your friends about the types of water contamination & solutions to them