HEALTH AND HYGIENE IN INDIA

Introduction

Health is a positive state of well being, where every part of the body and mind is in harmony and
in proper functioning balance with every other part. In other words, when every organ of the
body is functioning normally, the state of physical well being is known as health. It has been
well said that only that person can be called really healthy who has a sound mind in a sound
body. Health is the characteristic of life that enables a person to live longer. According to World
Health Organisation (WHO): “Health is the state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and
social well-being and not merely absence of disease”. If a person is disease free or in a good
physical state, but under stress, tension, anger, greed etc. than that person is not considered as a
healthy person. Hence, in addition to physical health, we must consider the mental and emotional
health also, only than spiritual and social health can be achieved and man can progress forward
for the well being of the society. Let us understand the various aspects of health-

 · Physical health – When the body is free from any physical ailment or abnormal
condition, it is physical health.
 · Mental health – The state of absence of stress, tension, worry, negative thoughts etc. is
mental health.
 · Emotional health – A balanced state of absence of anger, greed, proud, hatred etc. is
emotional health.
 · Spiritual health – To live in yourself with uniformity and harmony is spiritual health.
Also, to have faith in your religion and respect & view other’s religion with equal
harmony is known as spiritual health.

Community health is the art and science of maintaining, protecting and improving the health of
people through organized community efforts.

Hygiene
Hygiene is defined as the science and art of preserving and improving health. The
purpose of hygiene is to allow man to live in healthy relationship with his
environment. It deals both with an individual and a community as a whole. In order
to be healthy one must realize that hygiene and sanitation play a very important
role.

How public health education campaigns on simple tools such as hand washing
can help to improve health and hygiene in India.

Poor state of sanitation in the country

According to an article in LiveMint, data has been released by the National Sample
Survey Office (NSSO) from a survey conducted in 2012;  which has once again
underlined the abysmal state of sanitation in the country, particularly in rural India.
According to this survey, only 32% of rural households have their own toilets and
that less than half of Indian households have a toilet at home. There were more
households with a mobile phone than with a toilet. In fact, the last Census data
reveals that the percentage of households having access to television and
telephones in rural India exceeds the percentage of households with access to toilet
facilities. Of the estimated billion people in the world who defecate in the open,
more than half reside in India.

Poor sanitation affects health of children

downtoearth.org.in

Poor sanitation impairs the health leading to high rates of malnutrition and
productivity losses. India’s sanitation deficit leads to losses worth roughly 6% of
its gross domestic product (GDP)  according to World Bank estimates by raising
the disease burden in the country.  Children are affected more than adults as the
rampant spread of diseases inhibits children’s ability to absorb nutrients thereby
stunting their growth. As health economist Dean Spears argued “a large part of
India’s malnutrition burden is owing to the unhygienic environment in which
children grow up. Poor sanitation and high population density act as a double
whammy on Indian children half of whom grow up stunted”. It is not a coincidence
that states with the poorest levels of sanitation and highest levels of population
density such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh also have the highest levels
of child malnutrition in the country.

This unhygienic environment is due to India’s historic neglect of public health

services. The absence of an effective public health network in a densely populated
country has resulted in an extraordinarily high disease burden.

About 48 per cent of children in India are suffering from some degree of
malnutrition. According to the UNICEF, water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea
and respiratory infections are the number one cause for child deaths in India.
Children weakened by frequent diarrhoea episodes are more vulnerable to
malnutrition and opportunistic infections such as pneumonia.  With 638 million
people defecating in the open and 44 per cent mothers disposing their children’s
faeces in the open, there is a very high risk of microbial contamination (bacteria,
viruses, amoeba) of water which causes diarrhoea in children.  Also, diarrhoea and
worm infection are two major health conditions that affect school children
impacting their learning abilities.

The importance of public health programmes on hygiene and prevention tools

There are many organisations and public- private collaborations working to

improve access to toilets, improving drainage facilities and creating awareness
through education campaigns on the importance of preventive tools such as hand
washing. Hand washing with soap is among the most effective and inexpensive
ways to prevent diarrhoeal diseases and pneumonia. Poor wash causes diarrhoea,
which is the second biggest cause of death in children under five years. According
to the Public Health Association, only 53 per cent of the population wash hands
with soap after defecation, 38 per cent wash hands with soap before eating and
only 30 per cent wash hands with soap before preparing food. Only 11 per cent of
the Indian rural families dispose child stools safely. 80 per cent children’s stools
are left in the open or thrown into the garbage.
unic.org.in

According to the UNICEF, hand washing with soap, particularly after contact with
excreta, can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by over 40 per cent and respiratory
infections by 30 per cent.   Hand washing by birth attendants before delivery has
been shown to reduce mortality rates by 19 per cent while a 4 per cent reduction in
risk of death was found if mothers washed their hands prior to handling their
newborns.

Schools provide an excellent opportunity for children and parents to learn about
healthy hygiene practices. There is an urgent need for adequate, well-maintained
water supply and hygiene facilities which include proper toilets and hand washing
basins in schools all across India. Inadequate water supply and sanitation in
schools are health hazards and affect school attendance, retention and educational
performance. A good example of one such recent project was implemented by
Save the Children in partnership with Harpic in New Delhi, India. More needs to
be done about giving girls the knowledge and facilities necessary for good
menstrual hygiene is key to their dignity, privacy, educational achievement and
their health. Adolescent girls are empowered through improved menstrual hygiene
management. there need to be awareness campaigns for mothers and caregivers.
Hand washing with soap at critical times is important for protecting the health of
the whole family. By being a role model, mothers and caregivers can also help
instill in their children healthy hygiene practices, which will serve them for life.

Until now, a number of innovative public health campaigns and programmes to

improve health and hygiene have been implemented in India but more needs to be
done. These include community-led public-private partnerships to improve access
to toilets and awareness campaigns in schools and slums in both urban and rural
sectors. There is an urgent need for more such campaigns all across India.
OBJECTIVES
After reading this lesson you will be able to:

 Explain the concept of health.

 Recognise the importance of physical, mental and spiritual health.
 Appreciate the importance of hygiene.
 State the necessity of personal, environmental and food hygiene

A healthy life is a dream of each individual. World Health Organization (WHO) declared April
7th as World Health day. This is celebrated with the goal of creating awareness among each
individual. For being healthy we need to know the actual meaning of health and hygiene. Let us
discuss more on health and hygiene.

According to WHO, health is“a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” As per the definition, a person cannot be said to be
healthy merely by a disease-free condition. He/ she should be physically as well as mentally
healthy. This demands a hygienic condition. Health and hygiene are two correlated terms.

Hygiene can be defined as the practice of certain habits to maintain a good health. It can be at
the personal level (personal hygiene) and at the community level (social hygiene).

Personal hygiene: Personal level hygiene includes cleanliness, physical exercise, proper rest,
and sleep and other habits like avoiding smoking, drinking alcohols, drugs etc..Majority of
diseases can be prevented by keeping a good personal hygiene.

Social hygiene: Society includes the surrounding we live and other public places. A good
environment has a great impact on the physical and mental condition of an individual. The untidy
and improper way of disposal of waste in public places leads to unhealthy conditions. These lead
to uncontrolled growth of rodents and disease causing and carrying agents and make us ill.
Hence social hygiene is as important as personal hygiene.
Disease 
A disease is a term used to define the uncomfortable condition or discomfort we feel. The term
disease-free is entirely different from the term being healthy even though they are correlated. A
disease is diagnosed by certain symptoms and signs.

• Human wants are unlimited while the resources are scarce.

• Economic theory or analysis deals with the basic proposition of how human
beings or individual economic units behave against the problems of scarcity
and react to the observed changes.
• Human beings often face problems of scarcity and choice
• The aspect of choice occurs as consumers can satisfy only some of their
wants while they have to forgo others.
• The freedom of choice gives rise to opportunity cost, which is the next best
alternative choice that has been forgone.
• Opportunity cost is the real cost of a choice and can be applied not only to
consumer choices at the micro level but also community choices at the
macro level.
• Major focus of economic analysis is on how individual economic units have
to make a choice among the limited resources.
• Economic analysis establishes reference points that indicate what to look for
and how economic issues are interrelated. This enables better understanding
of relationships among complex and often unrelated economic events in the
actual world.
• However, a serious limitation may emanate from the assumptions, which
form the basis of these propositions. Therefore such assumptions must be
realistic so as to serve the purpose of understanding economic issues and
propositions

Session Outline

• Classification of economics
• Development of macroeconomics
• Basic concepts of macroeconomics
• Policy instruments
• Diagnosing health of the economy
• Circular flow of income
 PROPOSED METHODOLOGY
Health education of the masses helps to develop an interest in the environmental sanitation.
Though we try to keep ourselves personally very clean, we do not usually care for our
surroundings. Our sources of water are constantly getting polluted. Unhygienic surrounding
invites mosquitoes and flies. Environmental hygiene or sanitation thus helps to reduce the
incidences of those diseases which are commonly acquired or transmitted through excreta or
contaminated water, food and drinks. These include gastrointestinal diseases like diarrhoea,
dysentery, cholera etc. and insect-borne infections like malaria, dengue, plague, filariasis, etc.
Because of its universal use, water can be the channel for spreading various diseases like
typhoid, cholera, dysentery etc. Besides these, viral hepatitis, polio and worm infestation are also
transmitted because of the use of contaminated water. Drinking water supplies may be liable to
get contaminated with sewage or other excreted matter. Water pollution can be effectively
controlled by:

 · Educating the people regarding use of safe drinking water.

 · Wherever possible, the drinking water should be provided through the piped water supply.
 · Sanitary wells should be provided where the piped water supply is not possible.
 · Conventional water purification ways like disinfection by bleaching powder or chlorine gas
should be regularly employed.
 · Domestic filters should be used where chemical disinfection of water is not feasible.

Unsafe disposal of faeces (stool) is one of the major causes of spread of diseases, especially in
rural areas. Many illnesses are caused by the germs and worms (or their eggs) which are found in
the stools or faeces of the infected persons. These germs get into the water, into food, utensils
and to the surfaces used for preparing food and are transmitted to new hosts either by the dirty
fingers or by contaminated food or water. Hence, personal as well as public cleanliness or
sanitation is important in order to prevent this faecal to mouth transmission of infections. To
prevent this and to maintain proper environmental hygiene, one must remember and follow the
underline points:

 · Public toilets (latrines) should be built and used.

 · If that is not possible, people should defecate (pass stool) at designated places away from
habitation (houses).
 · After defecating, the faeces should be buried right at that place.
 · The faeces of babies and children have as many dangerous germs as the faeces of adults, so
their faeces should be cleared up immediately.
 · Latrines should be cleaned regularly and kept covered.
 · The faeces of animals should also be kept away from houses and water sources.
 · The dung or ‘gobar’ of cattle should be either used in the gas plant or in a manure pit or made
into cakes (uple) for fuel at a secluded place.
 · It is important to wash hands with soap after defecating and after cleaning the bottom of a
baby, who has just defecated.
 · In villages, if soap is not available, instead of using mud the
  better alternative for cleaning the hands is ‘ashes’ of burnt wood (raakh).
 · Children put their hands into their mouths quite often, so it is important to wash a child’s
hands often, especially before
 giving him food.
 · A child’s face should be washed every time he makes it dirty. This helps to keep flies away from
the face and prevent eye and skin infection.

What you have learnt

In this lesson you have learnt the meaning and importance of personal hygiene and
Various aspects of hygiene which are needed for healthy living you can now very
well understand that by co-ordination, co-operation and proper planning we can
improve our hygienic standards and save our country from epidemics and
endemics and increase the longevity of the people.

The importance of hand hygiene. Washing your hands properly is one of the most
important things you can do to help prevent and control the spread of many
illnesses. Good hand hygiene will reduce the risk of things like flu, food poisoning
and healthcare associated infections being passed from person to person.
Development of Macroeconomics

• Microeconomics deals with the behavior of individual entities like

individuals, markets, firms, households, etc.
• Thus it looks into the micro aspects of the economy, whereas macro
economics studies the broader aspects of the economy and studies the
behavior of an economy as a whole.
• Prior to Keynes, the business cycles were considered to be inevitable, and
there was no concrete approach to solve these problems. These economists
known as Classical economists focused only on the micro aspects of the
economy. The Great Depression of 1930s left many of these economists
helpless.
• In this backdrop, Keynes came up with a new approach to look at the
economy. In his book, 'The General Theory of Employment, Interests and
Money'.
• Keynes argued that it is possible that high unemployment and
underutilization of the capacities may take place and continue in the market
economy. He also argued that government can play a bigger role during the
economic depressions by effective utilization of monetary and fiscal
policies.
After the World War II, the focus of economics was just aimed at countering
unemployment and inflation, and some economists proposed a fixed money growth
rate to address these issues like inflation and unemployment. Hence these
economists were called as monetarists as they have given importance to money

• In the last few decades, another school of thought has gained prominence
among noted economists. These economists opine that people should be
given enough incentives for their earnings, rather than imposing taxes on
their earnings. This group of economists advocates incentives for savings,
known as supply side economists.

• Full employment
• High living standards
• Price stability
• Reduction of economic inequality
• Rapid economic growth
• Steady foreign exchange position
The effect of this macroeconomic indicator is directly felt by the individuals. It is
imperative on any government that it should ensure full employment to the citizens
of its country. Unemployment rate shows different patterns in different phases of
business cycles. In the given figure , it can be seen that unemployment rate in the
US was too high between 1930 and 1940. During this period, the e economy
witnessed one of the worst depressions.

• The ultimate aim of any economy is to provide the desired goods and
services. The economy should be in a position to offer these goods and
services in ample number. To measure the output of any economy, Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) is the most comprehensive estimate. GDP
measures the market value of the entire output in a country during a
particular year.
• There are two variants in GDP- Nominal and Real. When nominal GDP is
adjusted for inflation, it gives real GDP.
• The importance of GDP can be analyzed by the fact that any predictions
regarding the future growth or fall in the economy or date on the past
economic performances are made in the GDP percentage. In the recent
figures released by the Central Statistical Organization, India’s economy
grew by 9.4%, in the second quarter of 2007.

Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social-being and not
merely an absence of disease or infirmity. Physical health and mental health are
inter-related. A sound mind in a sound body is an old and appropriate saying for
good health. AVOID COLD DRINKS.

A healthy human being has generally the following features :- A clear skin. Bright,
clear eyes. A body neither too fat nor too thin. Fresh breath. Good appetite. Sound
sleep. Regular activity of bladder and bowels. Coordinated body movements.

WASH YOUR HANDS PROPERLY. GOOD HYGIENE BASICS. EAT GOOD

FOOD.

DISEASES :-:

Definition :- Disease is a departure from normal health through structural or

functional disorder of the body.
CATEGORIES OF DISEASES :-

NON-COMMUNICABLE OR NON-INFECTIOUS DISEASES :- Such diseases

are not caused by any germ, therefore these diseases cannot spread from person to
person. These are caused due to improper functioning of the body organs. E.g.:-
diabetes, heart attack, etc. \COMMUNICABLE OR INFECTIOUS DISEASES :-
Such diseases are caused by the germs which are called pathogens. When
pathogens reach healthy person, he or she is infected by a communicable disease.
E.g.:-viral fever, chicken pox, malaria, cholera, etc.

TYPES OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES :-:

Metabolic diseases :- These diseases are caused due to the malfunctioning of

various body organs. These diseases are also called organic diseases. E.g. :-
diabetes mellitus, goitre, heart diseases, uraemia. Genetic diseases :- Such diseases
develop at the time of embryonic development due to defects in the genes of the
chromosomes inherited from the patients. E.g. :- haemophilia, thalassemia.

Allergy :- Allergy is an unpredictable reaction to a particular substance. This type

of substance is called allergen. Different people are allergic to different substances.
A few common allergens are dust, spores, pollen, certain clothes, particular
medicines, cosmetics, etc. The common areas of the body parts which are affected
by allergies are skin, respiratory and digestive tracts. Asthma, eczema, diarrhoea,
vomiting, nausea, hay fever, etc. are some common allergic reactions.

Dietary Deficiency Diseases :- A diet lacking in nutrients, such as proteins,

required for the growth and repair of the body, results in degeneration of muscles
and body weight. Some of the examples of protein deficiency diseases are
kwashiorkor and marasmus. Vitamin deficiency diseases are nightblindness,
pellagra, scurvy and beri-beri. Mineral deficiency diseases :- Human body also
require different mineral salt. The deficiency of minerals gives rise to disease like
anaemia, goitre, rickets, fluorosis, etc.
A PERSON SUFFERING FROM GOITRE. A CHILD SUFFERING FROM
MARASMUS. SWOLLEN GUMS.

Cancer or uncontrolled growth of body cells :- Cancer is caused due to some of the
important factors like smoking, tobacco chewing, addictive drugs, pollution,
radiation, and even viruses. Agents which cause cancer are called carcinogens. E.g.
:- breasts cancer, luekemia. Degenerative diseases :- With age, deterioration occurs
in the structure and functioning of body cells and organs. Some of the diseases
which occur due to old age are cataract, arthritis, arteriosclerosis. Diseases caused
due to physical and chemical agents :- Sunburn and heat stroke are examples of
some diseases caused by physicals agents. Chemical agents which cause diseases
are lead, mercury, etc.

COMMUNICABLE OR INFECTIOUS DISEASES :-:

These diseases are caused due to microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, fungi
and protozoa. The disease-causing germs are called pathogens. We get such
infections through air, water, food, contact, cuts, sexual contact and from agents
like mosquitoes, flies, etc. Diseases caused by viruses :- Cold, influenza, mumps,
smallpox, poliomyelitis, measles, rabies/hydrophobia, jaundice/hepatitis, AIDS.

2. Diseases caused by bacteria :- Tuberculosis(TB), diphtheria, tetanus, whooping

cough (Pertussis), pneumonia, cholera, etc. 3. Diseases caused by moulds and
fungi :- Ring worm, athelete’s foot, etc. 4. Diseases caused by Protozoa :- Malaria,
amoebiasis or amoebic dysentery, etc. TAPEWORM. 5. Diseases caused by worms
:- Elephantiasis, ascariasis, taeniasis, etc.

SPREAD OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES :-:

To continue their race, the pathogens try to come out of the body of an infected
person and reach out to more hosts for their survival. These healthy pathogens
transfer from a patient to a healthy person, generally, in the following ways: Direct
method:- Diseases like measles, chicken pox and fungal infections can spread
through direct contact with an infected person. Indirect method :- Touching and
sharing items used by the infected person, contaminated food and drink, vectors
and carriers.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR DISEASES :-

First Aid :- As the name suggests, it is the first or the immediate care given to a
patient at the time of emergency before he or she is taken to a doctor. e.g., during
accidents, heart attack, snake bite, burns, etc. Burns, bleeding, fractures, eye,
unconsciousness, heart attack, swallowing poison, snake bite, stinging.

FEVER :-

When we feel body ache, cold and our body temperature is more than 98.6 degree
F, it indicates that we are suffering from a fever. A fever is not a diseases but it is
symptom of some disease. In case of a high fever, we can immediately apply an ice
pack or a piece of cloth dipped in ice-cold water on our forehead to bring down the
body temperature. If the fever persists for more time, consult a doctor immediately.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR DISEASE :-:

Prevention of deficiency diseases :- Eat healthy and seasonal fruits and vegetables
in proper quantities to develop body resistance against diseases. Proper cooking
should be done. Cut vegetables should be cooked immediately. Avoid too much
frying of vegetables. Drinking water must either be boiled or properly purified with
the help of a filter. Keep your surroundings clean.

2.Public hygiene:- Sewage and chemical wastes should not be released into the
water bodies. Sewage should be chemically treated first before being released into
the water bodies to avoid water-borne diseases. 3. Immunization :- Immunization
and vaccination can prevent infectious diseases. 4. Personal hygiene:- Take care of
the skin, keep your hands and nails clean, wash your hair regularly, brush your
teeth and gums after every meal, wash your eye daily with tap water, nose must be
cleaned at regular intervals, never clean an ear with a sharp object, do physical
exercise to keep the body muscles active, take proper rest, sleep for 6-8hr daily,
one should develop healthy habits.

5. Healthy Environment :- Maintain a healthy environment to prevent the

spreading of diseases due to the breeding of mosquitoes, house flies and
microorganisms. Garbage should be kept in covered bins so that flies do not breed
on them. Do not allow water to stagnate outside your house and in your
neighborhood. All drains should also be covered. This will avoid breeding of
mosquitoes. There should be proper sewer lines connected to sewage treatment
plants. Contamination of drinking water with a little amount of faeces(human
excreta) causes a number of diseases.

EAT HEALTHY FOOD.:

VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION :-:

VACCINATION AND IMMUNISATION :- Vaccination is the practice of

artificially introducing germs or germ substance into the body for developing
resistance to particular diseases. Scientifically, this practice is called prophylaxis
and the material introduced into the body is called the vaccine . Immunization is a
general term used for introducing ant kind of dead or weakened germs into the
body of a living being for the development of immunity against the respective
disease or diseases.

HEALTH AND HYGIENE :

What is Health?:

What is Health? Health is a state of our being when we are free from physical or mental Dis-
Ease. In other words , we are AT- EASE with ourselves and enjoy being in our body.

Are We At Ease?:

Are We At Ease? Let’s examine ourselves if we are free from DIS- EASES. Let’s ask ourselves
if we are at ease with our BODY, MIND AND SOUL.
Why do we fall sick? :

Why do we fall sick? H eredity T oo much physical or mental exertion W rong life style Wrong
food and sleep habits Lack of nutritional diet causing various deficiencies Lack of exercise
Wrong thought patterns Seeking attention or love Demanding importance

What Medicines Do?:

What M edicines D o? Supply chemicals from outside to cope with the deficiencies, this should
not be encouraged as the body will stop creating those elements naturally. Suppress pain or block
pain signals from reaching the brain. This should also be strongly discouraged because by
suppressing; the pain does not go. As soon as the effect of pain reliever subsides the patient finds
the pain back. Try to make the patient forget about the dis-ease/ discomfort by using sleeping
pills or anti- depressants. This is like closing your eyes to avoid the problem which does not
work; sooner or later you have to face it. Sadly a few people keep ignoring and avoiding the
reality for years, till death.

How to Stay Healthy?:

How to Stay Healthy? In fact Keeping ourselves healthy is very easy and we all can do that.

Respect Your Body:

Respect Your Body Our body is the most miraculous machine created by nature. It is our most
valuable asset. It is vehicle of our soul, give time for the maintenance of this vehicle. Keep it
Clean and in good working order Neglecting Our Body, Putting Wrong Food In it is sin. Never
abuse your or anybody else’s body.

Keep Your Body Clean :

Keep Your Body Clean

Drink Enough Water :

Drink Enough Water To detoxify you body

Add More Fruits And Vegetables to your Diet:

Add More Fruits And Vegetables to your Diet

Wake Up With Birds:

Wake Up With Birds

Exercise Regularly:

Exercise Regularly

Sleep Well:

Sleep Well

Work Hard:

Work Hard

Never Harbor Negative Feelings:

Never Harbor Negative Feelings

Be Thankful For What You Have:

Be Thankful For What You Have

Bathe in Divine Light to Heal Yourself :

Bathe in Divine Light to Heal Yourself

Enjoy Life:

Enjoy Life
Health is the normal and sound state of the body. This is a great source of peace and happiness.

Health refers to a state of sound mind and physically fit body free from any disorder, sickness or
ailment. In simple words, health refers to the physical, emotional and psychological well-being
of a person.

Hygiene refers to the good practices that prevent diseases and leads to good health, especially
through cleanliness, proper sewage disposal, and supply of safe drinking water. It refers to all
those activities that are done for improving and preserving, maintaining sound health.

The proverb says that health is wealth. It is truly said that of all things in the world health is the
most valuable that one can possess. Money is no doubt a pleasant thing. However, it can give no
pleasure to a man of ruined health. As body and mind are closely connected, the mind cannot be
sound and cheerful without sound health.

Value and benefits of Good Health: Life is a great struggle, and health is the best weapon to be
successful in the battle of life. A healthy man can enjoy life in every way. An unhealthy man
lives a most miserable life. He may have intelligence, merit and wealth, but he cannot put them
to use and reap their benefits.

Hygiene Habits for Good Health

Pure water: Pure water is another source of good health. A great deal of sickness is caused by
using impure water. People in villages often bathe, and wash clothes and cattle in tanks. If this
water is used for drinking purposes, it may bring disastrous diseases. To make water pure it
should be boiled, so that it may not do any harm.

Balanced and Nutritious food: Wholesome food keeps our health good. A part of the food we
take serves as fire to keep the body warm; another part forms flesh to give us strength. Pure milk
is the most nutritious food. Vegetables and many other things that we generally take are
nutritious food. A mixed diet is the best food for us. Stale and rotten food is dangerous for
health. Meals should be taken at fixed times. Over-eating causes many diseases. Special care is
necessary about food when any epidemic prevails.

Cleanliness: Cleanliness is necessary for good health. It is the most important hygiene habit.
Dirt spreads diseases, because germs thrive in it. They move about with the dust in the air, so a
dirty man is easily attacked with diseases. The man, who has a clean body and puts on clean
clothes, is free from dirt and dust, and no disease can attack him easily. Daily bathing is a good
habit. It keeps our body clean. We should keep our clothes, beddings, food, utensils, and all other
things neat and clean. No dirt should be allowed to gather near our houses. We should also keep
our teeth and nails clean. We should remember that cleanliness is next to godliness.

Eye care: We should take great care of our eyes. Both inadequate light and excess of light are
harmful to our eyes. Eyes become fatigued by study and require some rest. Bathing the eyes with
cold water at night is a good hygiene habit.
Other Measures for Good Health
Regular exercise: Regular physical exercise is necessary to keep good health. Walking in the
open air every morning and evening strengthens the muscles of the limbs and quickens the
circulation of blood. A game every day before sunset is very advantageous. A man, taking
regular exercise, will be much better fitted for the duties of life than a languid bookworm will.

Pure air: The first requisite is pure air. To secure good health we must have a sufficient supply
of fresh air. For this we should keep the environment clean.

Proper sleep: Many people sleep too much. This renders them indolent. On the other hand, a
zealous student goes to the opposite extreme. Both of these practices injure health. ‘Early to bed
and early to rise’ is the best course.

INTRODUCTION

Health education plays an important role in the community hygiene. To prevent illness and have
positive health attitude, correct and complete knowledge of health is necessary. Health is
cleanliness and cleanliness is one of the main defenses against diseases, whether contagious or
self-generated. In this lesson we will discuss the actual meaning of health and hygiene, so that
the aim of good health can be achieved through sanitary habits and healthy way of living.
 References
 1.http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-/kolkata/
46410563_1_urban-india-rural-bengal-rural-india
 2.http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/zoKlf2uRgrGTn22qH6YorO/The-great-
Indian-sanitation-crisis.html
 3.http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/policy-and-issues/half-of-indias-
population-still-defecates-in-the-open/article5367467.ece
 4.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_India

Conclusion
We must learn proper hygiene practices to preserve our health. Too much work or exercise,
eating or drinking are injurious to health. A regulated life is very helpful to a sound health.
Above all, the mind too, must be kept clean and pure.

Summary
Health is a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. It involves more than just the absence of
disease. Society as a whole benefits from people's good health just as individuals do. The World Health
Organization (WHO), an agency of the United Nations, works to promote better health throughout the
world. Hygiene is a set of practices performed for the preservation of health. Hygiene is an old concept
related to medicine, as well as to personal and professional care practices related to most aspects of
living. In medicine and in home (domestic) and everyday life settings, hygiene practices are employed as
preventative measures to reduce the incidence and spreading of disease. Hygiene is also the name of a
branch of science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health, also called hygienic. To
achieve and maintain good health, people must have basic knowledge about the human body and how it
functions. Only then can they determine what will or will not help or damage their health. Therefore,
learning about health should be a part of every person's education. Current knowledge about health,
together with good living habits, can help almost everyone maintain good health and improve their
quality of life.