Next time, a male friend offers you a handshake ask them how regularly they wash their hands after using the toilet.
This is because at least 8 out of 10 men in Uganda don’t wash their hands after using the loos, according to a new survery.
The survey was conducted by WASH UP, a civil society organisation, across five districts including Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, Mbale, and Mbarara.
The survey, conducted between October and December 2023, interviewed a total of 1000 individuals, both men and women aged between 16 and 50 years.
One of the most striking findings of the survey was the significant disparity between men and women in hand washing habits.
At least 7 out of 10 women reported washing their hands after using the toilet, the majority of men seemed to neglect this essential hygiene practice.
“This gap underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve hand washing behaviors among men in Uganda. The implications of poor hand hygiene extend far beyond personal cleanliness. Failing to wash hands regularly after using the toilet can lead to the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses, contributing to the transmission of infectious diseases,” the survey report notes.
The survey sheds light on one of the most critical but neglected aspect of public health: handwashing.
Some of the men interviewed for the survey said they don’t wash hands because “it is time wasting.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), failure to wash hands and maintain good hygiene could lead to spread of diseases such as diarrhea, a leading cause of death among children under five globally.
The findings of the WASH UP survey could serve as a wake-up call for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and communities in Uganda.
