By IANS,
Kolkata : At least 50 percent of Indians do not wash their hands after coughing and sneezing, a joint study by Reckitt Benckiser (India) Limited, the makers of Dettol liquid antiseptic, and Global Hygiene Council (GHC) has revealed.
According to the study’s findings, which were released here Friday, about 78 percent of the surfaces in the Indian homes were found to be unsatisfactory in terms of the level of bacterial contamination.
“Ninety percent of kitchen cooking surfaces, 83 percent of kitchen sinks and 85 percent of the kitchen taps in India have a high level of bacteria. The results are worrying, especially when the highest risk of infection comes from the toilet and kitchen surfaces which are not even seen as threats,” the survey said.
“Only six percent of Indians feel kitchen taps could be a source of germs,” it added.
The joint study, launched in 2006, was conducted in three different levels across six metropolitan cities in India. It was targeted to reach out to the vulnerable sections.
“The study, Dettol Surakshit Parivar Programme, was carried out among more than one million young mothers and 400,000 children in India. Now we are trying to reach out to smaller towns across the country also,” Reckitt Benckiser (India) Limited chairman and managing director Chander Mohan Sethi said.
“It is estimated that the risk of diarrhoea can be reduced by half, while the risk of respiratory problem, cough and cold can be reduced at least by 16 percent, through proper hand washing practices. About 1.8 million people every year die of diarrhoea globally,” he added.
The GHC is an independent body of global experts, formed in 2006. Its aim is to monitor current hygiene practices in order to offer realistic recommendations to the public on the importance of hygiene in the home and community.
“Globally, toys come out as relatively the most hygienic item (only nine percent contaminated). But, in India this figure stands at 37 percent,” the survey said.
The study also pointed out that Indian homes are quite high in bacterial contamination, compared to other countries. Malaysia is the only other country with an equally high level of bacterial contamination on in-home surfaces.