The objective behind the survey was to gain insight into consumers’ awareness regarding the spread of common bacteria in their household, and highlighting the differences between hand and surface hygiene behaviour among different countries. The study involved 16 000 adults from 16 different countries including South Africa, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and India.
The presentation of the results was led by local Global Hygiene Council member, Dr Kgosi Letlape, who said, “Despite peoples’ best intentions, if they are unaware of where germs are in the home, then they will not know how to prevent the spread of infection, and the hygiene measures they use are likely to be inadequate.
“It is important to remember that hand washing is the first line of defence against infections both inside and outside of the house. I urge members of the public in South Africa to help protect themselves and their families from these often preventable infections by washing their hands thoroughly and regularly with soap and clean water, as well as cleaning and disinfecting food and hand contact surfaces in the home.”
Dr Letlape said that the four areas in the average household surveyed which were high risk infection spots, were the bathroom body sponge, the kitchen cloth, kitchen taps and toilet handle which he attributed to the spreading of bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E.coli), campylobacter and salmonella.
The survey also revealed that 83 percent of all people surveyed think their home poses a low risk (52 percent) or no risk (31 percent) with regards to the spread of infections and illnesses. Local results don’t deviate much from the global norm, with 59 percent of South African respondents believing that their home posed a low risk, and 30 percent, no risk.
But although the study revealed a grave lack of awareness regarding basic hygiene practices such as washing one’s hands, Letlape said that South Africa performed better than any other country, adding that 90 percent of South Africans reported always washing their hands when they look dirty and 80 percent before and after preparing food.
Letlape said that individuals should not only clean their homes and the four high risk areas to rid them of dirt, but should also disinfect these areas to make sure that the spread of bacteria is minimised.
