Why is promoting good health and hygiene practices so important?
What does it have to do with hunger? Surveys we’ve done in Kenya show that only 20 percent of the population has access to a latrine or has ever used one. As a matter of fact, going to the bathroom out in the open is a normal occurrence for everyone—women and men, old and young alike. In Kenya, a third of all disease stems from these kinds of unsanitary living conditions. The good news is that taking simple steps literally saves lives—steps like using a latrine, washing hands, cooking with clean utensils, and drawing water from protected sources. We also know that the fight against malnutrition can’t be won unless we also tackle underlying diseases like dysentery and cholera—diseases that are major contributing factors to malnutrition. That’s why public health promotion is so vital in preventing childhood deaths. How do you go about promoting good practices? A good deal of my work involves sitting with mothers and their children to talk about embarrassing subjects like breastfeeding an
