Teaching children about hygiene ‘can help address spread of superbugs’

New government-backed guidance has been issued to highlight the potential role of handwashing in the prevention of infections.

The new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England has suggested that more needs to be done to teach children in nurseries and young people at university when and how to wash and dry their hands.

By emphasising the importance of proper hand hygiene after going to the toilet and before preparing food, it is hoped that the current proliferation of antibiotic-resistant superbugs can be addressed.

It was also noted that young people living away from home for the first time need more information on how to care for themselves when they get an infection that will resolve itself over time, such as a common cold or flu.

Public Health England's educational resources e-Bug and Germ Defence are listed as two ways to improve education on these topics, which could reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics when they are not needed.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at NICE, said: "There are already common infections that are resistant to antimicrobials. Without sustained changes to the way we manage infections and protect these medicines, some routine medical procedures will become fatal."

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