GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – Handwashing with soap is an effective and affordable way to prevent infections and diseases and save lives.
To reach the aforementioned goal, handwashing must be practiced at key times, such as before preparing food or eating, after using the toilet or sneezing. Behavior change is essential for making handwashing a habit.
The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department from the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, calls on residents to implement handwashing with soap as one of the most important public health interventions.
It is very important to wash hands with soap before cooking or preparing food, before eating, and before feeding someone (including breastfeeding).
Contamination of food can lead to a wide range of illnesses and outbreaks, many of which are particularly dangerous for young children and people with compromised immune systems.
Many infections start when hands are contaminated with disease-causing bacteria and viruses. This can happen after using the toilet, changing a child’s diaper, coughing, sneezing, touching other people’s hands, and touching other contaminated surfaces.
Handwashing with soap works by removing bacteria and viruses from hands before they get a chance to cause infections or spread to other people.
For more information, you can call CPS 542-1322, 1122, 1222 or 542-1570.
