The world of Tzu Chi June 2020 (Vol.123)

TZU CHI 123 15 Tzu Chi volunteers in Mozambique, armed with buckets, bars of soap, face masks and informative brochures on epidemic prevention, reached out to local communities to educate them on stemming the spread of Covid-19. [Photograph by Long Karmen] Are We Ready for the New Normal? is difficult to predict for now. Tutorial videos of proper hand washing techniques have been mushrooming all over social media in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. The mundane act of washing our hands has now become the centre of attention in our everyday routines. Yet, even rigorous hand washing regimens are inadequate when compared to Africa’s deplorable state of basic public infrastructure. Hand washing routines are an integral aspect of public sanitation measures, in addition to wearing face masks. However, clean hands were negligible until the mid- 19th century, when expectant mothers often contracted postpartum infections that caused fevers and endangered the lives of their newborn infants. Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian doctor, discovered the source of the infections and attempted to promote the habit of hand washing to minimize the risk of pregnant women being infected by the bacteria on doctors’ hands. Semmelweis was ostracized for his efforts and spent the rest of his life in a mental health institution. As of 2019, Mozambique in Africa was ranked seventh from the bottom in comparison to the GDP of other countries. Only 34 ventilators were available