Introduction

 

Supreme Court of India while interpreting Article 21 of Indian constitution has acknowledged that Health is a fundamental human right. Further, the Court directed that decent environment includes clean, hygienic and safe environment. Thus, both health and hygiene are covered under provision of Article 21 of Indian Constitution. It is therefore the double duty of the State to protect Indian citizens working/ living in dangerous, risky and unhygienic environment for sustaining their livelihoods.

 

In 1946, WHO defined Health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The current paradigm of health considers health as a dynamic multidimensional process acknowledging the fact that we need to continuously adapt or acclimatize to the changing needs of living.  Accordingly, many dimensions of health are recognized today such as spiritual health, emotional health, cultural health, environmental health, preventative health etc.

 

Hygiene refers to human behaviors that can improve cleanliness and lead to good health. Such behaviours include frequent handwashing, facial cleanliness, bathing with soap and water etc. Proper Hygienic practices include covid appropriate behaviour, washing hands after handling animals, after toilet, and before food, bathing before and after swimming etc. Food hygiene, Sleep Hygiene and Mental Hygiene are equally important aspects related to personal hygiene.

 

Health Verses Hygiene

 

According to UNICEF, better hygiene (or Swacchta in Hindi), leads to better health, confidence and overall growth. There are various dimensions of hygiene such as personal hygiene, infant hygiene, everyday household cleansing, hygiene practices around animals, hygiene for public health and medical professionals, hygiene at workplaces etc.

 

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

 

The significance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) cannot be underestimated. The literature review reveals astounding facts related to WASH. Globally, 8,29,000 people die annually due to unsafe drinking water, sanitation and hand hygiene. An estimated 2.3 billion lacked hand-washing facilities with soap and water at home in 2020. In India, only 50-75% of population has basic hand-washing facilities at home. Further, only 49.51% population is using safely managed sanitation services, whereas 71.27 % population is using at least basic sanitation services.

 

Safe drinking Water, Sustained Sanitation and Proper Hygiene is critical to human health and wellness. It prevents many infectious diseases like diarrhea and outbreaks like cholera, Covid-19 etc.

 

Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM), Government of India

 

SBM is a flagship programme of the government. UNICEF is also one of the supporting partners in this programme. This program is now in its 2^nd phase. The 1^st phase of SBM was initiated on October 2, 2014 and was led by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The main objective of the programme is to promote sustainable sanitation and open defecation free behaviours, supply hygienic products, services & technologies, engage multiple stakeholders and strengthen the hygiene sector through effective planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

 

Importance of Personal Hygiene

 

Hand Hygiene is the simplest and highly cost-effective way of maintaining public health and this intervention protects against a range of diseases, including pneumonia and diarrhea. Menstrual health and Hygiene is critical for Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) and their development.

 

Importance of Health and Hygiene for Families

 

In families, maintaining good hygiene as a habit prevents illness in both children and adults, thereby reducing spending on healthcare, increasing health and longevity. Children have better learning outcomes as they tend to have better attendance in school. Adults have better productivity and savings affecting the socioeconomic status of the household.

 

Importance of Health and Hygiene at Workplaces

 

Hygienic workplaces contribute to healthy workforce, reduce loss of man-hours, increase overall efficiency and productivity and develop a sense of increased quality of life, happiness and well-being. 

 

Conclusion

 

The significance of decent environment, health and hygiene cannot be underestimated. Health is our fundamental right, but with every right there is a corresponding duty. Hence, through proper hygiene and modified lifestyle, we can definitely preserve our health.

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Bibliography

 

Books

 

Kadri AM (2019 Edited). IAPSM’s Textbook of Community Medicine, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers, New Delhi. P 13-17

 

Jain, M.P. (2018). Extended view of Article 21. In: Chapter XXV: Fundamental Rights (Topic 6). Indian Constitutional Law. LexisNexis, Gurgaon, Haryana. pp 1232-1233

 

Websites

 

AISE (2017). The Hygiene Concept. International Association of Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products. Available at https://www.aise.eu/documents/document/20171114105635-hygiene_concept_-_aise_-_june_2017.pdf

 

CDC (2022). Water, Sanitation and Environmentally Related Hygiene (WASH). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/hygiene/index.html

 

GoI (2022). Swacch Bharat Mission. Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation. Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India. Available at https://swachhbharatmission.gov.in/sbmcms/index.htm

 

UNICEF (2022). Water Sanitation & Hygiene. Available at https://www.unicef.org/wash/hygiene

 

WHO (2022). WASH country data: India, The Global Health Observatory. Available at https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/countries/country-details/GHO/india?countryProfileId=e150dd37-4c59-4743-8c1d-e90c1d4a545f

 

WHO (2022). Preamble of Constitution of WHO. Available at https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution