A Life-Course Approach to Hygiene: Understanding Burden and Behavioural Changes

The life-course approach, which has its origins in preventing or reducing the impact of non-communicable diseases through encouraging good behaviours while recognising the contribution of other factors, including environmental ones, could provide a useful framework for communicable disease and hygiene. Looking at hygiene through a life-course lens could form part of a smarter approach that embeds good hygiene behaviour from childhood (to gain the most cumulative benefit), and then reinforces it throughout a person’s lifetime to boost good hygiene practices if these start to wane.

This report looks at the burden, challenges and opportunities of a life-course approach at four key life stages by focusing on specific infectious diseases or challenges at those time points.