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| Media Corner |
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| New study exposes hygiene shortcomings in Indian homes |
• 78% of frequently touched surfaces in-home found to be heavily contaminated
Startlingly
• 18% people don't wash their hands before eating |
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| Delhi, 9th September, 2008 Back to list |
A new study conducted in 2008, by the Global Hygiene Council, supported by Dettol, brings out startling results on the beliefs of consumers on the risk of infections in the safe haven of their home versus the reality of high level of germ presence on many frequently touched surfaces in the home. The study also reveals the poor levels of hand washing habits amongst Indians.
Only 10% Indians believe that you can catch an infection at home. But according to the results of a new In-home Swabbing Study - in which the actual level of germ contamination across different surfaces in across different homes in India was measured - the reality is very different. 78% of the surfaces tested in the home were found to be unsatisfactory in the level of bacterial contamination. Leading amongst these was the kitchen cloth where 100% of homes had kitchen cloths heavily contaminated with illness causing germs. In 90% of homes the kitchen cooking surface, 83% the kitchen sink and 85% of the kitchen taps , had a high level of bacteria. Even 79% of the fridges surveyed! The results are worrying, especially given that while people feel the highest risk of infection is from the toilet area, kitchen surfaces are not seen as threat - only 6% feel the kitchen tap could be a source of germ pick up.
It has been validated through many studies that proper hand washing is the simplest way of reducing the risk of catching an infection. It is estimated that the risk of diarhhoea can be reduced by half, while the risk of respiratory illnesses like cough; cold can be reduced atleast by 16%. However the survey amongst the general public, shows a lack of awareness on the importance of handwashing. A startling 18% of people do not wash their hands before eating or handling food. And even amongst those who handwash, a good 1 in 10 wash their hands only with water. Given that 50% of Indians do not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, there is a very high chance one picks up germs from the next person one meets. Combined with the high incidence of bacterial contamination in home, poor handwashing habits mean that chances of getting infected even at home are quite high.
Basis the results of the survey and the In-Home Swabbing Study, the Global Hygiene council recommends:
1. Make it a habit to washing hands regularly, especially each time before eating/handling food
2. Disinfect commonly touched surfaces in the home
3. Take extra care in the kitchen when handling food to prevent cross contamination.
Presenting the results of the survey and releasing a book on practical recommendations to improve hygiene standards, in Chennai, Mr. Chander Mohan Sethi, Chairman and Managing Director of Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd, said, "The results of the studies conducted bring out the reality of hygiene standards amongst people from across socio-economic strata. The majority of the public is not aware of the importance of simple hygiene practices like hand washing. Not only this, they are absolutely oblivious to the manner in which germs can get transferred through various surfaces even in the home. Clearly the public needs to be made aware of good hygiene habits that can reduce the risk of illness in the family."
He further added, "Through our ongoing consumer touch program Dettol Surakshit Parivar we are committed to reaching out to the public and spreading this message. This year, under the program, other than the metros, we are including the next level of towns too."
Also present at the Press conference were Dr.L.V.K. Moorthy, President, Indian Medical Association, Tamilnadu State and Dr. T.N. Ravishankar, General Secretary, IMA , Tamilnadu State. Commenting on the findings and the recommendations, Dr Murthy said, "Poor hygiene practice is one of the prime issues of continued spread of infectious illnesses . We at IMA are committed to promoting good hygiene practices in India & support Dettol in its efforts to heighten the awareness of good hygiene habits in the country."
Indian homes compared quite poorly with other countries, Malaysia being the only other country where there is an equally high level of bacterial contamination on in-home surfaces :
» 45% of Indian Bathroom taps were found to be heavily contaminated with germs. In USA, this figure was a low 5%, while in UK it was 10%.
» 75% of Kitchen taps in India were heavily contaminated. Only Malaysia had a worse performance (at 95%), while South Africa had only 10% of its taps heavily contaminated.
» Worldwide, 78% of Kitchen cloths were found to be heavily contaminated. While 100% of kitchen cloths in India and Malaysia were found to be heavily contaminated, even in countries like UK – 90% of the kitchen cloth was heavily contaminated, and in Saudi Arabia 80%
» Globally, toys came out as relatively the most hygienic item (only 9% heavily contaminated); in India this figures stands at 37%.
About Hygiene Council
Global Hygiene Council is an independent body founded in 2006, which brings together leading global experts in the field of microbiology, virology, infectious diseases, immunology, and public health. Its aim is to revisit current hygiene practices in order to offer realistic recommendations to the public on the importance of hygiene in the home and community. . The Global Hygiene Council is headed by Prof John Oxford, Professor of Virology at St Bartholomew's & The Royal London Hospital, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry. The Indian representative on the Hygiene Council is Dr. Sandip K. Ray, Immediate Past Secretary General and Chairman of Academic Committee, Indian Public Health Association/ Prof of Community Medicine, Khwaja Bandanwaj Institute of Medical Sciences, Gulbarga.
The Hygiene council, supported by Dettol, aims to understand the attitudes and beliefs of consumers towards hygiene, and suggest simple hygiene measures to help consumers bring down the risk of infections.
The In-Home Swabbing Study was conducted across 7 countries in the world, including US, UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Malaysia and India. The results are based on physical swabs taken from different surfaces inside the home, the Kitchen Tap, Kitchen Sink, Kitchen Working Surface, Kitchen cloth, Refrigerator, Bathroom Taps, Bathing area and Toys. Microbiological testing was done to check presence of germs causing illnesses like diarhhoea, respiratory infections, and skin infections.
The Hygiene Survey amongst the general public was carried out amongst 10,000 consumers from 10 countries.
About Dettol
DETTOL is a brand of Reckitt Benckiser and has stood for "trusted protection" in India since 1933. The brand is endorsed by the Indian Medical Association and has been voted consistently as one of India's Most Trusted Brand, (ORG Marg Brand Equity Survey).
About Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser (India) Limited, formerly known as Reckitt & Colman (India) Ltd is one of the fastest growing consumer goods companies in South Asia. In India, it has many brands namely - Dettol, Harpic, Mortein, Lizol, Cherry Blossom, Vanish, Easy Off Bang, Veet, Colin, Disprin, Strepsils, Clearasil and others. It has major presence in home and personal care, surface care, fabric care, pest control and healthcare. The Company has operations in 60 countries, sales in 180 and employs 22,000 people around the world. Globally Reckitt Benckiser plc is headquartered in Slough just outside London, UK and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information visit: www.reckittbenckiser.com
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