Where There Is No Doctor 2011 135
Cleanliness in Eating and Drinking
1. Ideally, all water that does not come from a pure water system should be boiled,
filtered, or purified before drinking. This is especially important for small children,
people with HIV, and times when there is a lot of diarrhea or cases of typhoid,
hepatitis, or cholera. However, to prevent disease, having enough water is more
important than having pure water. Also, asking poor families to use a lot of time or
money for fire wood to boil drinking water may do more harm than good, especially
if it means less food for the children or more destruction
of forests. For more information on clean water, see
A Community Guide to Environmental Health, Chapter 5.
A good, low-cost way to purify water is to put it in a
clean, clear bottle or a clear plastic bag and leave it in
direct sunlight for at least 6 hours. If it is cloudy, leave
the water exposed to sun for at least 2 days. This
method will kill most germs in the water.
2. Do not let flies and other insects land or crawl on food.
These insects carry germs and spread disease. Do not leave
food scraps or dirty dishes lying around, as these attract flies
and breed germs. Protect food by keeping it covered or in
boxes or cabinets with wire screens.
3. Before eating fruit that has fallen to the ground, wash it
well. Do not let children pick up and eat food that has been
dropped—wash it first.
4. Only eat meat and fish
that is well cooked. Be
careful that roasted meat,
especially pork and fish, do
not have raw parts inside. Raw
pork carries dangerous diseases.
5. Chickens carry germs that can cause diarrhea. Wash your hands after preparing
chicken before you touch other foods.
6. Do not eat food that is old or smells bad. It may be poisonous.
Do not eat canned food if the can is swollen or squirts when
opened. Be especially careful with canned fish. Also, be careful
with chicken that has passed several hours since it was cooked.
Before eating left-over cooked foods, heat them again, very hot.
If possible, give only foods that have been freshly prepared,
especially to children, elderly people, and very sick people.
7. People with tuberculosis, flu, colds, or other
diseases that spread easily should eat separately
from others. Plates and utensils used by sick
people should be cleaned very well before being
used by others.