HYGIENE PRACTICES Notes, Quizzes & Revision

Good hygiene reduces spread of common illnesses in Kenya such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid. It keeps children well for school, supports safe food preparation, protects families during rainy seasons, and helps girls manage menstruation with dignity. Community health volunteers (CHVs) and county health offices encourage simple, low-cost practices that work even where water or soap is limited.

• Handwashing with soap at critical times: before eating, before preparing food, after using the latrine, after changing nappies. 🧼💧
• Safe water handling: collect from protected sources (piped water, borehole, protected well). Store in covered, clean containers; use a tap or ladle, not hands. Boil or treat water if source is uncertain. 🚰
• Sanitation: use latrines/toilets; keep them clean; practise anal cleansing and handwashing after use. 🚻
• Food hygiene: wash fruits and vegetables, cook food thoroughly, cover food, and avoid leaving cooked food uncovered in the sun. 🥣
• Personal cleanliness: regular bathing, clean clothes, hair care, and trimming nails to prevent disease spread and skin infections. 🧴
• Oral hygiene: brush teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste; discourage sharing toothbrushes. 🦷
• Menstrual hygiene: provide private, safe spaces; use clean absorbents (disposable pads or reusable materials washed and dried in sunlight); safe disposal. ♀️
• Waste management: bury or burn faecal waste where no collection exists; separate organic and non-organic household waste. 🗑️

• Use ash or sand when soap is not available (ash worked into wet hands reduces germs).
• For handwashing stations: jerrican with tap (tippy tap) or bucket with spigot works well at households and schools.
• Treat water by boiling, chlorination (bleach/WaterGuard), or solar disinfection (SODIS) for clear bottles in sunlight.
• Reuseable sanitary pads should be washed with soap, rinsed, and dried in direct sunlight to reduce infections.

Practising good hygiene interrupts transmission routes of waterborne and faecal–oral illnesses. Clean hands and safe water reduce diarrhoeal disease by a large margin. Proper latrine use prevents contamination of water sources and the environment.

• Keep a handwashing station near the school latrine and near the kitchen; encourage handwashing before lunch. 🚰
• Ensure separate, private latrines for girls, with disposal options for menstrual materials. 🔒
• Teach hygienic food preparation in home economics and encourage pupils to practise at home.
• Engage parents and CHVs to support regular cleaning of latrines and water containers.

Ensure facilities are accessible to learners with disabilities (ramps, handrails, lower taps). Provide private spaces and menstrual supplies so girls can attend school. Promote non-stigmatizing language and respectful care for all.

1. Name three times when you must wash your hands.
2. How can a family make drinking water safer at home?
3. List two ways schools can support menstrual hygiene.

• Demonstrate correct handwashing steps and have learners practise in pairs.
• Set up a simple handwashing station (tippy tap) and have learners explain how it saves water.
• Role-play scenarios for asking for help with menstrual supplies or reporting broken latrines.

Simple, consistent hygiene practices — handwashing, safe water handling, clean latrines, food safety and menstrual hygiene — protect health, keep learners in school, and strengthen families and communities across Kenya. Reinforce these daily habits with practical demonstrations, local resources, and respectful support for all learners (age_replace).