By Satha Sin, ADRA Cambodia / Nadia McGill and Hearly Mayr, ADRA International
Source: Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International
Website: http://www.adra.org
Silver Spring, Maryland - Only one in four rural Cambodians practice appropriate hand washing regardless of access to clean water and hygiene knowledge, according to a recent study presented by ADRA at the World Federation of Public Health Associations/American Public Health Association (WFPHA/APHA) Annual International Health Breakfast held in San Diego, California.
Dr. Leonard Uisetiawan, provincial projects advisor for the ADRA office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, who presented the study, discussed the perception and hand washing practices among rural Cambodians. According to Dr. Uisetiawan, the project concluded that less than 26 percent of rural Cambodians use good hand washing techniques regardless of access to clean water and hygiene knowledge. In addition, less than 6 percent of child caretakers properly washed their hands after changing a child's soiled diaper or after defecation.
This research, funded by Colgate-Palmolive through the American Public Health Association, also highlighted that the practice of hand washing in Cambodian homes is not dependent on the availability of soap, water, buckets, accessibility to hand washing areas, household size, amount of children, mother's vocation, or educational level.
"There is a belief that hand washing with soap is a waste of money, water, and time," said Satha Sin, public relations officer for ADRA Cambodia.
Through the findings of this project, ADRA will provide information to parents that will help them improve the health of their children, by promoting good habits as role models. ADRA hopes that parents' approach to teaching personal hygiene, specifically hand washing, will be modified.
"By utilizing traditional values, perspectives, and community beliefs, we expect to be able to increase the number of villages that practice proper hand washing," said Dr. Uisetiawan.
The Hand Washing Research Project has been conducted over the past year as part of "Phum Mittapheap Koma", a three-year initiative aimed at improving rural health and reducing morbidity and mortality among more than 22,500 women and 17,400 children in the Kampong Thom province.
According to the Cambodia Demographic Health Survey, nearly nine percent of Cambodian children die before the age of five as a result of diarrhea, which is associated closely with the ingestion of contaminated food or water. The study identified this as one of the leading causes of death among young children.
ADRA has been active in Cambodia since 1988 in the three main sectors of Health, Water and Sanitation, and Food Security.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
Author: Satha Sin, ADRA Cambodia / Nadia McGill and Hearly Mayr, ADRA International.
Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org
Dr. Leonard Uisetiawan, provincial projects advisor for the ADRA office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, who presented the study, discussed the perception and hand washing practices among rural Cambodians. According to Dr. Uisetiawan, the project concluded that less than 26 percent of rural Cambodians use good hand washing techniques regardless of access to clean water and hygiene knowledge. In addition, less than 6 percent of child caretakers properly washed their hands after changing a child's soiled diaper or after defecation.
This research, funded by Colgate-Palmolive through the American Public Health Association, also highlighted that the practice of hand washing in Cambodian homes is not dependent on the availability of soap, water, buckets, accessibility to hand washing areas, household size, amount of children, mother's vocation, or educational level.
"There is a belief that hand washing with soap is a waste of money, water, and time," said Satha Sin, public relations officer for ADRA Cambodia.
Through the findings of this project, ADRA will provide information to parents that will help them improve the health of their children, by promoting good habits as role models. ADRA hopes that parents' approach to teaching personal hygiene, specifically hand washing, will be modified.
"By utilizing traditional values, perspectives, and community beliefs, we expect to be able to increase the number of villages that practice proper hand washing," said Dr. Uisetiawan.
The Hand Washing Research Project has been conducted over the past year as part of "Phum Mittapheap Koma", a three-year initiative aimed at improving rural health and reducing morbidity and mortality among more than 22,500 women and 17,400 children in the Kampong Thom province.
According to the Cambodia Demographic Health Survey, nearly nine percent of Cambodian children die before the age of five as a result of diarrhea, which is associated closely with the ingestion of contaminated food or water. The study identified this as one of the leading causes of death among young children.
ADRA has been active in Cambodia since 1988 in the three main sectors of Health, Water and Sanitation, and Food Security.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.
Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
Author: Satha Sin, ADRA Cambodia / Nadia McGill and Hearly Mayr, ADRA International.
Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org
13 comments:
please keep educating the public about the importance and the benefits of handwashing and other hygienic habit, in the cities or rural areas, etc... i think if we all keep drilling them and educating them about the benefits of doing so, then sooner or later, people will get it. thank you. and god bless cambodia.
That’s because most Cambodians lack in understanding about hygiene and don’t take it seriously about hand cleaned. This is a big problem in poor countries. They need to teach their kids in early age if they’re serious about sanitation pass down to later generation. GET A HABIT OF DOING IT. IT IS A PLUS.
To Cambodian government,
What about the bus stop througout the country...Are you plans to do something about it? Those Bus companies should take responsibility, they must build toilets, place trashes dumpster in every BUS-STOP!!
Govt. should felt shame, embarass to tourist..
Don't listen to Ah tomato picker. They get sick all of the time. That is why they can't never get themselves out of the slum.
Yeap, 6:09 AM is the voice of that multiple personalities/identities Ph.D TUK TUK driver from Hanoi!
6:09, Tell you what! tomato picker is better than your mother working on the street as whore! and she is still a whore...haha!
AH Ph.D TUK TUK driver from Hanoi's mother coined the term 'BAUK' or gang rape in Cambodia. His mother been BAUK many times.
8:02AM & 9:23AM posters, your comments for 6:09AM are pretty nice. I like that. Keep up with this sicken buster. He is nobody than ah Yuon and slave murderer.
Totally agree with 4:46am and 4:59am. Govt. should have comercials every hour to teach the public proper hygiene. That they should wash their hands with soaps, instead of with limes or not wash at all. Or to cover their mouths when they sneeze. Khmer have a really bad habit in which they sneeze without covering their mouths or pick their nose in public. Or cough out sputum and spit in public.
All schools in Cambodia should have Health Education class so the kids are educated early on. They need to educate the teachers as well.
I've noticed that a lot of restrooms/toilets in Cambodia, whether they are at the gas stations or restaruants, do not have soaps. Some just put a few slices of limes. As if that's going to kill the germs....especially when they don't even use toilet papers to wipe themselves.hehehhe
It's dangerous to abuse the parasites. They can evolve to become more dangerous.
Please, don't listen to Pouk ah tomato pickers.
12:16,
Tomatos picker is better than your mother fuck on the street in SVY PAK..she's still a whore on the street!!
12:16,
I almost forgot, remembered your grandmother she's use to be a whore also..that why your mother is working as a whore in SVY PAK!!
12:16,
His mother working as a WHORE in SVAY PAK BROTHEL..to make enough money send his ass here...now he's making fun of tomatos and US educations...Oh poor baby, my mom is whore working on street..hee!hee! harrrrrrrr!
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