TWO Alva students are helping to raise awareness of better hand hygiene in an effort to tackle infections.

Tolu Obatusin and Joseph Obawole, both studying on the BSc Applied Biological Science course, set up an interactive experiment at Forth Valley College (FVC) campus in Falkirk last week.

Along with their two other classmates, they asked volunteers to rub their hands with a special gel and place them under an ultraviolet light to show which areas of the hands need more attention when washing.

The teenagers arranged the experiment to highlight the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Antibiotic Awareness Week.

Joseph (18), told the Advertiser: “The results of the experiment showed us that around the finger nails and the wrists were the worst places for germs to be even after washing.

"It was a very worthwhile experiment and it would seem that older people tended to be better at washing their hands.”

It is widely understood across the medical world that improvement in hand cleansing skills could help tackle infections and reduce the use of antibiotics and the emergence of resistant organisms.

Tolu Obatusin (19), said: “We were trying to create awareness for Antibiotic Resistance Awareness week and show how people should be washing their hands.

"Some people who used the light box to see where the germs congregated were surprised at how well they did. It certainly gave us a great insight into hand-washing."

The BSc Applied Biological Science is an integrated degree course offered in partnership between FVC and the University of Stirling.

Students spend two years at the college before then completing their degree in Stirling.

Science lecturer, Moira Wilson, said: “There are emerging strains of resistant organisms that cause diseases like Malaria and Tuberculosis with no drugs able to treat them.

"One of the most important ways to control the spread of infection, and therefore a reduction in the use of antibiotics, is through effective hand washing.

"So, the life science learners were raising awareness of this global action plan, and letting people see how good they were at washing their own hands.”