Children must be taught simple hygiene, NICE and PHE recommend

New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has proposed that children and young people should be taught the importance of keeping a good general hygiene to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

The guidance recommends that children in nurseries and young people at university should be taught when and how to wash and dry their hands, in a bid to help prevent the spread of infections.

The statement advised that young people living away from home for the first time should also be given information about how to care for themselves when they get an infection such as a common cold or flu.

The guidance, conducted by both NICE and PHE, is aimed at NHS organisations, local authorities and health and social care professionals so they can provide information to people in their care.

It discusses the correct use of antimicrobial medicines and the risks of overuse, including that patients should not buy prescription-only antimicrobials online, share them with others or dispose of unused medicine down the sink.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at NICE, said: “Antimicrobial resistance is a problem that is happening now and will get worse without action at all levels so we must all play our part.

“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.

“Education is key to this issue, and that’s why we’ve made recommendations for a whole range of ages; from preschool settings to residential and day care settings for older people.”

Paul Cosford, medical director Public Health England, said: “We all have a part to play in this battle against antimicrobial resistance to ensure that antimicrobial treatments do not become obsolete in the future. To stop the spread of infections and reduce resistance, good hand, respiratory and food hygiene and appropriate antimicrobial use are vital. As well as providing education and support resources we also encourage the public, healthcare workers and patients to sign up to be Antibiotic Guardians to make their pledge for how they’ll make better use of antibiotics.

“Global estimates suggest that more than 700,000 people die every year from drug-resistant strains of common bacterial infections, HIV, TB and malaria.”