Ebola, Hand-washing and Oral Rehydration Therapy

The question of Ebola communication has focused mainly on, well, Ebola. But beyond knowledge of how the virus is spread and what to do if you get it, there are practices and skills that public health people have been communicating about for decades that can help with prevention and, possibly, survival. Two big ones are hand-washing and Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT).

Hand-washing is one of those crucial life-saving practices that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves, and which is not always as simple as it seems due to lack of access to clean water and soap. Even when it is simple, it often isn’t done, as anyone spending time in an airport restroom can attest. No one is suggesting that hand-washing alone is going to get the virus under control. Indeed, there is no research yet on the exact role hand washing plays in halting the spread of Ebola.

Poster from Nigeria