We thank Mr Adrian Ho Kok Wai for his letter ("More needs to be done to educate people to stay home when ill"; Jan 4).

We agree that it is important to inform and educate Singaporeans on the importance of observing good hygiene habits. This is an area of focus for us in our health promotion efforts.

To promote good hygiene practices and help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has introduced a social hygiene campaign called F.I.G.H.T, a simple five-step process.

The five steps are:

First, frequent hand washing with soap and water, or using alcohol-based hand sanitisers if hand-washing facilities are not available;

Second, getting immunised via vaccination to increase the body's resistance against infectious diseases;

Third, going to the doctor if you are feeling unwell;

Fourth, staying home and resting instead of going to school, work or other crowded places to protect yourself as well as to prevent spreading the virus to others;

Fifth, using tissues and wearing masks when you are unwell to stop the spreading of germs to people you interact with.

Chris Cheah (Dr)
Deputy Director
Communicable Disease Education
Health Promotion Board