33% of S'poreans don't wash hands

[metalslug]

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_360455.html

33% don't wash hands
By Derrick Ho

NEARLY one in every three Singaporeans does not wash his hands after using the toilet.
And even if they do, 40 per cent of Singaporeans do not wash their hands with soap, according to a research commissioned by Unilever in January to find out Singapore's hygiene habits.

The results showed that close to half of the population does not actively take measures to protect against germs and Singaporeans are not washing their hands adequately.

The findings, released by soap brand Lifebouy on Monday, revealed that 30 per cent of those surveyed do not wash their hands before meals. Half of those surveyed say they do not wash their hands after eating.

Singapore saw a total of 29,686 Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in 2008, a rise of 10,000 cases from 2007, according to figures from the Ministry of health. HMFD, and other infectious diseases including influenza, diarrhoea can be prevented by washing your hands properly and more regularly.

Lifebuoy said it was visiting 30 primary schools to present a hygiene talk, in the form of an interactive skit titled 'Fight Germs, Stay Healthy with Lifebuoy'. Some 30,000 lower primary school students across Singapore are expected to benefit from this session.

 

[halsey02]

Does that mean that:
(1)33% of the 66.6% who voted for PAP, dont wash hands?

or
(2)33% of the 33.4% who didn't vote for PAP, don't wash hands?

 

[angie II]

Jiak Liao Bee Ministers : 33% didn't vote for us, don't wash hands & mouth, always badmouthed us, so they deserved to be assed.

 

[metalslug]

http://www.asiaone.com/Health/Wellness+%40+Work/Story/A1Story20090407-133926.html

Tue, Apr 07, 2009
AsiaOne

3 in 10 S'poreans don't wash hands after using toilet: survey

Last year, Singapore recorded a big increase in the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases.


There were more than 29,000 reported HFMD cases in 2008 - a rise of almost 10,000 cases over 2007.


While the reasons for this sudden increase may not be easily determined, Singaporeans will do well to note that simple hygiene practices can go a long way in preventing the spread of infectious diseases like HFMD, diarrhoea, flu and dysentery.


Yet a survey on personal and household hygiene, conducted by consumer goods company Unilever in 2008, showed that many Singaporeans are careless when it comes to something as basic as handwashing.


According to the survey, where 710 people aged 15 to 50 years were interviewed over the phone, 33 per cent do not wash their hands after using the toilets. Three in 10 do not wash their hands before meals while slightly more than half (54%) do not wash their hands after meals.


And when they do wash their hands, four in 10 do not use soap every time. In light of these findings, Unilever - through its body wash brand Lifebuoy, is visiting primary schools here to teach schoolchildren about proper personal hygiene habits and hand washing techniques.


"Young children often do not have a high awareness of proper hygiene and may not be careful about what they touch," said a Unilever spokesperson. "It is critical that they develop good personal hygiene habits to prevent contact-transmissible diseases from taking root."


Do you really know how to wash your hands?


A thorough wash is a 20-second routine:


Step 1: Turn on the tap and wash your hands. Turn off the tap to save water.


Step 2: Soap up.


Step 3: Rub your hands together while counting to 10.


Step 4: Rub between your fingers.


Step 5: Rub the back of each hand.


Step 6: Now, rub around your fingers and scratch both hands gently with your fingernails. This step helps to clean out your nails.


Step 7: Clean around your wrists. This is the step that most people forget.


Step 8: Finally, rinse off the suds with water and dry your hands with a paper or fresh towel.

 

[NissanViP]

only wash hand after pak chew cheng only. No wonder so many disease spreading. Indian rojak is good example to "kill" singaporean.

 

[leetahbar]

Jiak Liao Bee Ministers : 33% didn't vote for us, don't wash hands & mouth, always badmouthed us, so they deserved to be assed.

with ur bunch of cheenies and sdppies contaminated warped brains, u can bet the the figures supporting SDP shall definitely drop.

how's donation to sdp coming? too embarrassed to reveal?