Make hand hygiene and sanitation routine
Clean hands and safe sanitation prevent many of the infections that would otherwise need a doctor. This is the cheapest health system on the estate.
How
- Wash hands with soap and clean water: wet, lather, scrub for 20 seconds (palms, backs, between fingers, under nails), rinse and dry with a clean towel.
- Always wash after the toilet, after changing nappies, before handling food and when hands are visibly dirty.
- Use alcohol hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol only when soap and water are not available, and not on visibly dirty hands. Do not rely on homemade sanitiser.
- Put a handwashing station by every toilet, in the kitchen, the medical room and near animal areas (see sanitation-23).
Do these first
Sources
- Hand Hygiene Frequently Asked Questions. CDC, accessed 2026-11