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Report on Hand Hygiene and its Critical Role in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the critical role of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of communicable diseases, with a specific focus on its direct impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The data indicates that deficiencies in handwashing access and practices are a primary contributor to mortality from diarrheal and respiratory illnesses, particularly in resource-limited settings. Addressing these challenges is fundamental to achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

The Public Health Imperative: Hand Hygiene’s Impact on SDG 3

Combating Preventable Diseases

The promotion of hand hygiene is a cornerstone strategy for achieving SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, which aims to end the epidemics of communicable diseases by 2030. Evidence demonstrates a direct correlation between handwashing and the reduction of disease transmission.

• Diarrheal Diseases: As a leading cause of death among children, diarrheal disease represents a major obstacle to SDG Target 3.2 (end preventable deaths of children under 5). A 2018 review confirmed that community education on handwashing with soap can reduce diarrheal incidence by 30%, potentially preventing an estimated one million deaths annually.
• Respiratory Diseases: Lower respiratory infections caused nearly 2 million deaths in 2016. Improved hand hygiene practices are a key preventative measure to lower the incidence of these infections, contributing to the broader goals of SDG 3.

Foundational Challenges to Hygiene: The Centrality of SDG 6

Deficiencies in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Infrastructure

The lack of basic infrastructure is the most significant barrier to effective hand hygiene and directly impedes progress on SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. Global statistics from 2023 highlight the scale of the challenge:

• An estimated 2.3 billion people lack access to a basic handwashing facility with soap and water at home.
• Of this population, 670 million people have no handwashing facility at all.
• Approximately 2 billion people do not have access to safely managed drinking water services.
• An estimated 1.4 million deaths per year are directly attributed to unsafe water, poor sanitation, and a lack of hygiene, underscoring the interconnectedness of SDG 3 and SDG 6.

Defining Access to Hygiene Services

The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme provides standardized definitions to measure progress toward SDG 6. Access to appropriate hygiene is determined by the availability of specific facilities and materials.

1. Handwashing Facility: A designated fixed or mobile location for handwashing. This includes sinks with tap water, buckets with taps, tippy-taps, or designated jugs and basins.
2. Handwashing Materials: The presence of soap in various forms (bar, liquid, powder, or soapy water) is required. Materials such as ash, soil, or sand are not considered adequate for effective hygiene.

A Multi-faceted Approach to Progress

The Role of Education and Behavioral Change (SDG 4)

Beyond infrastructure, achieving sustainable hygiene practices requires education and behavioral change, aligning with SDG 4: Quality Education. Successful programs must teach and promote hygiene in a manner that is resonant with local social and cultural norms. Educating communities on effective water use and the germ theory of disease is crucial for fostering lasting improvements in public health.

Integrated Strategies for Sustainable Impact

A comprehensive strategy integrating multiple SDGs is necessary to overcome global hygiene challenges. Key actions include:

1. Expanding access to reliable water sources and handwashing facilities to meet the targets of SDG 6.
2. Implementing targeted public health education campaigns to build knowledge and skills, in line with the principles of SDG 4.
3. Promoting consistent handwashing with soap as a primary preventative health intervention to reduce child mortality and combat communicable diseases, directly supporting the objectives of SDG 3.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

Explanation

The article primarily addresses two Sustainable Development Goals by focusing on the critical link between health, water, sanitation, and hygiene.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is preventing the spread of communicable diseases, specifically diarrheal and respiratory illnesses, which are major causes of death and sickness, particularly among children. It highlights how hand hygiene can save lives and improve health outcomes, directly connecting to the goal of ensuring healthy lives for all.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The article explicitly identifies the lack of access to water and handwashing facilities as the primary barrier to good hygiene. It provides statistics on the number of people without access to safely managed drinking water and basic handwashing facilities, which are core components of SDG 6.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

Explanation

Based on the issues discussed, several specific targets under SDG 3 and SDG 6 can be identified.

1. Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. The article directly supports this target by stating that diarrheal disease is a “leading cause of death among children” and that promoting handwashing could “prevent an estimated 1 million deaths from diarrheal diseases.”
2. Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of… water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The article focuses on preventing “diarrheal and respiratory diseases,” which are communicable. It notes that diarrheal diseases can be spread through the fecal-oral route, making them water-borne, and that “1.4 million deaths per year are attributed to diseases spread through unsafe water, poor sanitation, and lack of hygiene.”
3. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from… water… pollution and contamination. The connection is made through the statement that millions of deaths are caused by diseases from “unsafe water, poor sanitation, and lack of hygiene,” which implies contamination.
4. Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. The article directly references this target by stating, “About 2 billion people do not have access to safely managed drinking water services.”
5. Target 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all. This is a central target of the article, which states that “An estimated 2.3 billion people lack access to a handwashing facility with water and soap at home, and 670 million people have no access to handwashing facilities.”
6. Target 6.b: Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management. This target is implied when the article mentions that “Successful handwashing programs teach and promote hygiene practices that resonate with local social and cultural norms” and emphasizes the need for “Educating people about water use.”

Implied or Mentioned Indicators

Explanation

The article provides specific data and descriptions that align with official SDG indicators used to measure progress towards the targets.

1. Indicator 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rate. The article’s focus on diarrheal disease as a “leading cause of death among children” and the potential to prevent “1 million deaths” directly relates to measuring mortality rates in this age group.
2. Indicator 3.3.2: Incidence of water-borne diseases. The discussion of reducing diarrhea by 30% through handwashing and the number of people affected by respiratory infections are measures of disease incidence.
3. Indicator 3.9.2: Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene. The article explicitly provides a figure for this indicator: “1.4 million deaths per year are attributed to diseases spread through unsafe water, poor sanitation, and lack of hygiene.”
4. Indicator 6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services. The article directly cites the inverse of this indicator by stating that “2 billion people do not have access to safely managed drinking water services.”
5. Indicator 6.2.1(b): Proportion of population using a handwashing facility with soap and water. The article provides precise data for this indicator, noting that “2.3 billion people lack access to a handwashing facility with water and soap at home.”
6. Indicator 6.b.1: Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management. The concept is implied by the need for educational programs that “resonate with local social and cultural norms,” suggesting community involvement is a measure of success.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cdc.gov