Collective hygiene: what it is, functions, and how it is applied to the population

No society is fully developed if its citizens do not have well-being, which includes physical, mental and social health.

In order for there to be good health at the public level, it is necessary for the government to apply and promote health strategies. collective hygiene, that is, promoting good hygienic habits thinking about one's own health and that of others.

Next We will see what collective hygiene is, its importance at a social level and we will also identify some behaviors and strategies whose objective is to promote it.

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What is collective hygiene?

The term collective hygiene refers to all the activities, knowledge and practices that a group of people applies in a general way in order to care for the health of the population. These measures can be promoted by government entities, the area of ​​health and education, in addition to Hygienic habits promoted by families or acquired at a national level are also part of this idea. individual. The development of collective hygiene implies addressing physical, mental and social health.

People are exposed to different factors that can harm our health at different levels, such as urban waste, quality water, use of disease prevention methods (masks, condoms...), diet, exposure to pollutants, stress, sports practice and many further.

collective hygiene seeks to mitigate the negative impact of detrimental factors and promote that of beneficial ones, applying global strategies in the population and trying to make her aware of the promotion and protection of her health.

What is its importance?

A society in which its citizens do not take adequate responsibility for their health is a society doomed to disaster. In order for it to develop in the most prosperous and efficient way in any society, it is necessary to enjoy good levels of public health. Strategies to promote collective hygiene are key to protecting public health by educating to the population in the prevention of infectious diseases and those associated with nutrition, preventing them from being exposed to contaminants and maintaining adequate hygienic and eating habits.

The well-being of the people who live in a community, be it a big city or a small town, depends on the collective hygiene measures promoted by the administration and carried out by the citizens. Making citizens responsible and taking care of their health and hygiene through body care, good resource management, the use of space and the elimination of urban waste get them to become actively involved in the protection of their health.

Although the measures presented by the administration are aimed at improving public health in general terms, it is also given a leading role to each of the members of society since thanks to their individual responsibility the whole community benefits population. That is why what many collective hygiene promotion strategies do is encourage empathy among citizens towards their family, friends and neighbors, letting them know that by taking individual responsibility for their health, they help protect the health of their loved ones.

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Collective hygiene habits and measures

There are many examples of measures and habits, both promoted by governments and shared by the people, that help everyone to be healthy. Public health is often elevated thanks to small individual gestures of self-care and prevention that prevent the transmission and aggravation of diseases, the collapse of public health and the shortage of resources. Next we will see a few examples.

1. Use of the mask

Due to the pandemic proclaimed in March 2020, the general population has become aware of the importance of wearing a mask. A gesture as simple as using a face mask can help avoid infecting us and, in case we have been infected, the mask reduces the chances that we will infect more people. The use of the most representative item of clothing this year significantly reduces infections and helps prevent health services from collapsing.

2. Physical distance and hand washing

Along the same lines as the previous point, we have measures for the promotion and protection of public health respect physical distance and wash your hands frequently to reduce the chances of contagion COVID-19. The physical distance (rather than social) must be at least 2 meters, although more than 5 is preferred and always having the mask, this being the perfect combo to avoid getting infected if you come across someone who is infected.

Hand washing with soap or endorsed disinfectant is the best habit to protect ourselves from the virus in case we have had the bad luck of touching a source of infection, something of which we will never be sure. If it is done with soap, we must count about 30 seconds before rinsing our hands and always avoid touching anything in the house before washing our hands. hands, keeping our home “pure” from the virus and not turning it into a death trap in which our loved ones end up getting infected

3. Rapid tests and temperature taking

Another point related to the pandemic and directly related to the government administration and health organizations are rapid tests and temperature taking. With them it is intended to carry out rapid screening and detect possible positive cases early. In case of suspicions, what is recommended is to carry out a PCR and a preventive quarantine, avoiding that, if it is a real contagion, it spreads to many more people.

4. Hand washing and food handling

It is essential that workers who work preparing, dispensing or serving food such as cooks, bakers, waiters, greengrocers, and others wash their hands frequently, wear gloves, and maintain their establishments clean. While it's almost common sense to maintain good hygiene habits when working with food, in these professions there is a strong regulation that ensures that this is the case.

Where there is no regulation is in the sale of street food. Street vendors are not required by any company to wash their hands since they go free. Both the vendor of cut fruit on the street and the one who serves us mojitos on the beach may have dirty hands, not having washed them after going to the bathroom and serving food with bacteria fecal This is why, as a measure of individual responsibility, we should not under any circumstances buy street food in pandemic contexts.

5. Elimination of droppings

Before the modern sewerage system was invented, it was customary in every household that, after defecating, the droppings and thrown away from the house shouting "Water goes!", ending up in the street and waiting for nature to end removing them. Thank God we no longer live in that time where hygiene was conspicuous by its absence and in which we ran the risk of bathing in the depositions of a total stranger if we were clueless walking down the street.

Human feces, however "natural" they may be, cannot be left just anywhere. These residues are a source of pathogens highly infectious if they rot, which is why we need to have a system of sewage that takes them well away from the urban center and ends up in a place where they do not pose a danger to the public health. They must be disposed of in a safe and controlled manner, in such a way that they do not contaminate the environment, drinking water, or crop fields.

6. Supply and protection of water

Without water there is no hygiene, much less there will be collectively. Water is a necessary resource to guarantee the well-being of people but, unfortunately, it has a finite duration.. For this reason, as good collective hygiene measures, government plans are drawn up to prevent waste this resource, managing it in times of drought and making sure it reaches all parts.

If there is no water, there is no hygiene and it is a matter of time before people start to get sick due to problems associated with not being able to shower, washing hands, teeth and face, especially for infectious diseases that can also be transmitted from one to another others. It can also happen that this water is dirty, which is why as collective hygiene measures are applied Strategies to prevent it from being contaminated with external agents, such as solid waste, chemicals and faeces.

7. Water purification

In addition to making sure that everyone has water, it is very important that they can also drink it. Within the idea of ​​collective hygiene, the idea of ​​making water drinkable cannot be missing, since if people cannot properly hydrate themselves they are more likely to fall ill and become intoxicated. Water purification can be carried out both in large cities and in more rural areas.

In big cities this is very important because it often happens that the development of the big city ​​has dried up wells and natural springs, which could have water suitable for consumption human. That is why in these nuclei it is necessary that there are treatment plants that extract the water from different sources and purifies it to ensure it is free of pathogens and metals heavy.

It is common for rural areas to have access to a natural source of water. Although this is usually valued very positively and many people go to them to drink water that they believe is more "healthy", there are several risks. One of them is the one that is that the sources, Natural springs and rivers can be contaminated and since this water does not go through a purification process, its consumption is not recommended. Therefore, even when you are in the countryside, it is much safer to drink bottled or tap water.

8. Cleaning of public places

Public space must be kept clean, using cleaning products and disinfectants to prevent the spread of diseases and pests. Places such as elevators, offices, shopping centers, parks and hospitals must be disinfected very frequently, in order to avoid that if one of its users has an infectious disease it can be transmitted to many more people.

Public roads must also be cleaned to prevent any organic remains from rotting or being eaten by animals such as wild cats, rats, pigeons, seagulls and others. These animals can very easily get used to the food that humans give them, either intentionally (eg. g., giving them breadcrumbs) or by accident (p. rummage through the garbage), which means that they have a longer life expectancy, reproduce more and become a pest that can transmit all kinds of diseases.

9. farm animal control

Farm animals should be kept away from residential areas and sources of drinking water. so that, in case they get a disease, they do not transmit it to people.

The farm must be isolated from urban centers so that sick animals can be slaughtered and the place sanitized without having to apply a preventive quarantine to the human population. Appropriate controls must also be made to ensure that meat and animal products from that farm are not contaminated and cause a public health problem (eg. g., case of shredded meat).

10. Promotion of good nutrition

Having a balanced diet protects us from all kinds of diseases, malnutrition and nutrient deficits, which strengthens our health. Promoting good eating habits is a very important collective hygiene measure that helps not only improve public health but also acts as a prevention factor for the collapse of health services.

11. Education

Despite the fact that much progress has been made in promoting hygienic habits, today there is still a lot of ignorance and neglect regarding the maintenance of a clean home, self-care and hygiene bodily. This is why it is so necessary education in a healthy lifestyle being taught in schools and institutes.

The government, the education sector and the health sector must present programs to raise awareness and promote good individual health and highlight how important this is at a societal level.

12. Provision of good health services

If people do not have good access to health services, water, good food, and hygiene and cleaning elements, it cannot be expected that, magically, there will be high public health.

One of the most common causes of death in various communities is the lack of access to health services., in which preventive measures can be taken for life-threatening and infectious diseases if they are not detected in time. It is for all this that although education is important to guarantee that people take care of themselves and have responsible habits for themselves and others, governments must apply social measures that guarantee the general well-being of the population. If in a society there are very disadvantaged classes, with a lack of resources, poor sanitation and poor nutrition sooner or later health problems will arise that will or will not end up affecting society entirely.

Bibliographic references

• Bloomfield, Sally F.; Aiello, Allison E.; Cookson, Barry; O'Boyle, Carol; Larson, ElaineL. ( 2007). "The effectiveness of hand hygiene procedures in reducing the risks of infections in home and community settings including hand washing and alcohol-based hand sanitizers". American Journal of Infection Control. 35(10): S27–S64.
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• Squatriti, Paolo (2002). Water and Society in Early Medieval Italy, AD 400-1000, Parti 400-1000. Cambridge University Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-521-52206-9.
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