The Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) in partnership with IFH are hosting a 1 day conference on Thurs 11th Feb 2016. Most experts now agree that the hygiene hypothesis is a misnomer.
Although it is now accepted that changed interaction with our microbial world has increased our risk of developing allergies, it is thought that the root cause lies in a whole range of lifestyle and environmental factors which have changed exposure to microbes including sanitation, social contact, exposure to the outdoors – and overuse of antibiotics. However use of the term “hygiene” hypothesis continues to undermine attitudes to hygiene and hinder progress in understanding how to tackle these interlinked issues at a critical time when antibiotic resistance threatens our ability to treat infectious disease.
This event will explore new evidence about the nature of the link between microbial exposure and allergies, and will focus on what industry, healthcare and health agencies can do to change perceptions and develop effective strategies.
Unclear information and overgeneralization has resulted in the public losing confidence in hygiene and cleanliness. We aren’t too clean or overdoing hygiene but we now lack exposure to some vital microbes. So what are the prospects for tackling the problem and how can get the message across? Our speakers will look at why hygiene and cleanliness remain so important and how we might develop win-win approaches that minimise risk of infection whilst optimising exposure to the microbes we need. Hand hygiene is just one area in which science and behaviour change programmes can work together to fulfil both roles. We will also look at the role of hygiene in tackling the problem of antibiotic resistance
For more details and booking form go to: https://www.rsph.org.uk/en/courses-conferences-and-events/index.cfm/are-we-too-clean-reframing-the-hygiene-hypothesis
