hygiena

Hygiena, or hygiene, refers to the practices and conditions that promote health and prevent disease by maintaining cleanliness and safe environments. It encompasses personal habits, environmental management, and public health measures aimed at reducing the transmission of infections and promoting well-being.

The term derives from Greek hygieínē, linked to Hygieia, the goddess of health. In many languages the cognate form hygiena or higiena is used to denote this concept, with slight regional spellings such as higiene or higiena.

Key domains of hygiene include personal hygiene (hand washing, bathing, oral care), environmental hygiene (water quality, sanitation, wastewater management, waste disposal, air quality), food hygiene (safe handling, preparation, and storage), and occupational hygiene (workplace exposure control). Public health measures that support hygiene focus on disease prevention, outbreak control, and health education.

Historically, hygiene has been central to public health. Early sanitation in ancient cities and the later adoption of germ theory transformed practices. Improvements in clean water supply, sewage systems, food safety, vaccination, and health communication contributed to substantial reductions in many infectious diseases and overall mortality.

Today hygiene is governed by international and national guidelines from organizations such as the World Health Organization and various health ministries. These guidelines address hand hygiene, sanitation, drinking-water standards, food safety, and prevention of disease transmission, and they underpin professional disciplines in environmental health, occupational health, and epidemiology.