Everyday hygiene reduces need for antibiotics by 30 per cent
Improved everyday hygiene practices, such as hand-washing, decreases the risk of common infections by up to 50 per cent, reducing the need for antibiotics by up to 30 per cent, according to a new position paper. Global public health experts are now calling for home and community hygiene to become part of strategic plans to reduce hundreds of thousands of deaths from AMR (Antimicrobial Resistance) globally each year. The position paper is published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC). As witnessed during the recent global efforts to delay the spread of COVID-19, hygiene practices, including hand-washing, have become an essential part of everyone's daily routine and are considered to be the first line of defence in reducing the spread of common infections. However, national and international AMR strategies, while focussing on the important role of hygiene in the healthcare setting, fail to recognise the key role that home and community hygiene plays.
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