Importance of Environmental Hygiene and Sanitation in Disease Prevention

The main goal of personal hygiene is to improve or enhance personal standards of cleanliness, within people's living conditions.

Some personal hygiene practices include bathing, washing clothes, washing hands, proper use of the toilet, caring for teeth, nails, feet, personal grooming, maintaining good coughing/sneezing etiquette, and inculcating clean habits at a young age.

The aim of environmental hygiene is to create safe spaces so as to prevent diseases.

<p>Environmental hygiene involves disinfection, rodent control, disinfestation, and fumigation activities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>In people who practice poor personal hygiene, the body offers a perfect environment for the growth of germs, hence leaving it vulnerable to infection.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The word 'hygiene' is derived from the Greek word 'hygieinos' which means healthful, or relating to health.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>John Snow discovered the link between contaminated water and cholera.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Dr. Semmelweis noted the importance of hygienic handwashing before attending the delivery of a baby.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Louis Pasteur made the discovery that microorganisms (very small organisms only visible under a microscope) cause disease.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Environmental health can be defined as the control of all the factors in a person's physical environment that have, or can have, a damaging effect on their physical, mental or social wellbeing.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The period following the industrial revolution in Europe in the 19th century showed that improvements in sanitation, water supply and housing significantly reduced the occurrence of communicable diseases.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The passage mentions that it is also good to be aware of emerging issues such as global warming and the links between medical conditions such as cardio-vascular disease and our environment and lifestyles.</p> Signup and view all the answers