Just washing hands properly could save the lives more then a million children each year. So in other way we can say 50 percent of the diarrhoeal death can be reduced by proper hand washing.

Among many components of personal hygiene, hand washing before and after taking meal, after toileting is very important. It can reduce many gastrointestinal infections. Taking regular bath, wearing clean clothes, cutting nails regularly, drinking safe water and safe disposal of excreta have got tremendous positive impact on health.

We have not yet the practice of hand washing properly and timely. Hand washing is universally promoted in health interventions.

Studies in Bangladesh have shown a 14-40 percent reduction of diarrhoeal diseases with hand washing. In a study in Bangladesh it has been shown that 85 percent of the slum women and 41 percent of the rural women washed their hands using only water. However, most women rub their hands on earth or use soil and rinsed them with water during post defecation hand washing. (Ref: Hand washing practice and challenges in Bangladesh, B A Haque, Environment and population research center, Bangladesh). If they use soap and clean water during hand washing the reduction of bacteria will be definitely more significant.

Proper hand washing protect children from diarrhoea and also to some extent from pneumonia -- the two biggest killers of children below the age of five years.

Valerie curtis, director of the hygiene center, London school of hygiene and tropical medicine and a global expert on the beneficial effect of hand washing said, "If you don't wash your hands after using toilet, your hands become a super highway for transmitting microbes from one person to another."

She also said, "faeces contains billions and billions of viruses and bacteria and they are number one enemy of public in spreading killer disease to children."

To get rid of these problem the best method is to use soap with water to wash hands.

The US center for disease control describes proper hand washing as follows:

• Use soap and running water
• Rub hands vigorously as you wash them
• Wash all surfaces ( including backs of hands, wrists, between fingers and under finger nails.)
• Rinse well and leave the water running.
• Dry hands with a single use towel.
• Turn off water using a paper towel covering freshly washed hands.

Prevention is better then cure. We can prevent around 50 precent of the diarrhoeal diseases simply by washing hands properly.

Parents, doctors, nurses, health worker, teachers, imams all should try to convey the message of benefit of hand washing to the children. Please wash your hands and teach your children to wash hands properly to reduce the huge burden of diarrhoeal diseases.

The writer is an Associate Professor of Department of Pediatrics of Community Based Medical College (CBMCB), Mymensing. E- mail : khan1997@bttb.net.bd