Actions of the Hand Hygiene Extension Project

Introduction: The “Hand Hygiene Project” was created in 2022, with the purpose of being developed by teachers and students as a university graduation practice in the discipline of Preventive Medicine at UNIFIPA. The work adresses the importance of hand washing in kindergartens and elementar schools. Proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures to prevent the onset of disease, as hands are one of the parts of the human body that is most exposed to dirt and microorganisms. Thus, personal hygiene is extremely important, as it helps prevent infectious diseases by avoiding transmission to other parts of the body or to other people. This way, developing this habit is crucial for mainteining health and providing individual and collective protection. Objective: The objective is to promote health education action for students in kindergarrten and elementary school concerning the role of the hands in the school environment. Methods: The academics participated in meetings to discuss the content to be developed in a playful way. Later, the planning, organization and execution of health education activities about hand preparation were carried out. The purpose of the work was to contribute to reducing common childhood infection rates by employing strategies to encourage proper hand hygiene. Results : It was found that throught the participation and interaction of students with medical students, young people and adolescents demonstrated a strong understading of the importance of practicing hand hygiene. Conclusion: The involvement of school students and the commitment of medical students collaborate in raising awareness about the proper practice of hand hygiene, which is essential to maintaining a safe and healthy environment. This also alerts them to the importance of disease prevetion.
Keywords : University extension, Hand hygiene, Health education