Preventing spread of
infectious diseases is everyone's
responsibility
Wednesday, June 17,
2009
According to a report published today, we must all share
responsibility for preventing the spread of diseases such as swine
flu, SARS, avian influenza, diarrhoeal and skin diseases, and even
the common cold.
The swine flu scare has prompted some to say that we are
over-reacting but it is important to look at the bigger picture -
because the next new pathogens are always just around the corner.
The regular emergence of new pathogenic strains, and their
unpredictable behaviour, means that sustained investment in
effective strategies of mitigation and containment make absolute
sense.
But if infections are to be kept in check, there needs to be a
fundamental change in our approach to hygiene, with more emphasis
being placed on empowering families to take on this
responsibility.
Professor Sally Bloomfield of the London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine and one of the report's authors, comments:
'Although antibiotics and vaccines have given us unprecedented
ability to prevent and treat killer diseases, hygiene is still
fundamental to winning the battle against infectious disease in
both developed and developing countries – and that's a job for all
of us. This is not about shifting responsibility, it's about facing
reality'.
The report, published by an expert group for the International
Scientific Forum of Home Hygiene, indicates that a significant
proportion of global infectious disease could be prevented through
improved hygiene practice coupled with the provision of adequate
water and sanitation. One of its key conclusions is that, if the
burden of these diseases is to be contained in a manner which is
economically sustainable, it must be a responsibility which is
shared by all of us.
Information around hygiene is still too fragmented and confusing,
however. For example, advice on preventing spread of colds and flu
is very different from that on preventing diarrhoeal diseases. What
is needed, argue the authors, is a less agency-centred approach,
and one that is more family-centred, empowering parents to better
protect themselves and their families against infection. Dr
Elizabeth A Scott, also a co-author comments: 'The key to getting
people to change their behaviour is to find a way to make hygiene
behaviour more appealing and relevant by realigning it with other
aspects of healthy living such as diet and exercise. People also
need to understand that they can be proactive in protecting
themselves and reducing their risk of acquiring an infection in
their everyday lives'.
If we can prevent infections through good hygiene, we can also
reduce the amount of antibiotics we need to prescribe, according to
co-author Professor Martin Exner . Overprescription of antibiotics
is the main cause of antibiotic resistance, which is threatening
our ability to treat infections effectively when they occur.
In developing countries, the huge burden of hygiene and
sanitation-related infectious diseases continue to be the most
critical public health threat. Says co-author Professor KJ Nath:
'Much of the focus in developing countries is on investment in
community water supply and sanitation in order to meet the
Millennium Development Goals, but if the health benefits are to be
realised, programmes of hygiene promotion must be implemented in
conjunction with improvements in water and sanitation'.
Last week's report on the state of the NHS called for greater
emphasis on 'disease prevention strategies' as a means to reduce
pressure on NHS budgets. Infection prevention will be particularly
important for the ever-increasing ageing population, for whom
infectious diseases can have much more serious consequences which
require hospitalisation.
All of these trends underline the need for greater collective
effort in better standards of hygiene. Says Professor Bloomfield:
'In the current climate where infectious disease agents and our
immunity to these agents are constantly changing, we need to return
to the "not-so-good old days" when our parents and grandparents
knew that protecting themselves and their families against
infectious diseases was part of their responsibility and an
important part of daily life'.
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London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Thanks to London School of Hygiene
& Tropical Medicine for this article.