MONKEY POX: Why Nigerians should embrace regular hand washing

At the height of the Ebola outbreak in 2014, hand washing became a regular routine among Nigerians. Infact, it came to light that some people, inspite of their education and financial status, got to know about hand sanitizers for the first time.
But it was observed that after Ebola was contained, the exercise relaxed until it was altogether regular forgotten.
Health authorities however counsel that, considering its benefits and the burden of diseases in the country, hand washing with soap and water should be a norm in Nigeria.
Making infection prevention and hand hygiene a national policy priority – by aligning and strengthening existing programmes (such as regular hand washing with soap) will go far in combating viral infections like the recently reported case of monkey pox in Bayelsa State.
More so, there is now undisputed evidence that strict adherence to hand washing hygiene reduces the risk of cross-transmission of infections.
There is also need to have a system in place to ensure patient care activities are undertaken in a clean and/or hygienic, well-equipped environment to prevent and control infectious diseases.
These are some of the measures listed by experts to contain and prevent spread of infectious diseases like monkey pox which has been causing panic across the country, since it was reported in Bayelsa State last month. They stress that hand hygiene is now regarded as one of the most important elements of infection control activities.
In the wake of the growing burden of Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs), the increasing severity of illness and complexity of treatment superimposed by multi-drug resistant (MDR) pathogen infections, health care practitioners are reversing back to the basics of infection preventions by simple measures like hand hygiene.
This is because enough scientific evidence supports the observation that if properly implemented, hand hygiene alone can significantly reduce the risk of cross-transmission of infection in healthcare facilities.
Research finding also shows that proper hand hygiene is the single most important, simplest, and least expensive means of reducing the prevalence of hospital acquired infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
The Monkey Pox scar
Monkey pox, experts say, can be transmitted through contact with body fluids or respiratory droplet of an infected animal, or being bitten by an animal infected by the disease.
The same can be prevented when people avoid contact with squirrels, rats and monkeys, especially animals that are sick or found dead and by simple practice of good hygiene through frequent hand washing with soap and water – after contact with animals or when caring for sick human relatives or soiled beddings.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkey pox is a rare disease that occurs mainly in remote areas and tropical rainforests in West Africa.
Symptoms are similar to those found in human smallpox patients but much less severe. Gladly, it is said that the disease has a low fatality rate.
The symptoms include aches, body pain and fever as well as a bumpy localised rash on the skin.
The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Monday said patients with the disease were “doing well clinically”.
“Of the 14 other cases identified, 12 have come back as negative while results for the last two are not yet available.
“The most likely source of infection is a primary zoonotic transmission, from an animal, with secondary person-to-person transmission,” Adewole said.
Listing the benefits of regular hand washing with soap in disease prevention, former president, Association of Resident Doctors in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Omojowolo Olubunmi, said proper and regular hand washing remains the most important and effective public health means of preventing the spread of diseases.
He explained: “If soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol can be used. Alcohol -based hand sanitisers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitisers are not as effective as proper hand washing.
“Generally, the act of hand washing is low among Nigerians, and even healthcare personnel. Only about 30 to 40 percent of Nigerians wash their hands regularly, though this may increase to about 60 percent shortly before eating.”
On his part, the Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, urged Nigerians to practice the culture of hand washing with soap or ash at critical times like this to prevent outbreak of preventable diseases.
Adamu said hand washing with soap has been proven to be an affordable and effective way to help achieve health, well being and productivity.
His words: “Promoting hand washing doesn’t just mean making sure people have access to hygiene facilities, such as hand washing stations, it means that these facilities must be utilised.”
To further prevent the spread of monkey to other parts of the country, a veterinary doctor, Mr. Mutiu Oladele-Bukola, said people moving in and out of the country should be immunised against the virus.
He emphasised that surveillance measures and rapid identification of new cases were critical for outbreak containment, stressing that people suspected of monkey pox disease should be well quarantined.