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Developments:
I haven't conducted a detailed survey, but from observation alone it seems a remarkably high proportion of young Gambian children have runny noses. Of course, in a country as open and friendly as Gambia you meet more kids than you do at home, but the difference in upper lip cleanliness is nevertheless striking. There are a number of possibly overlapping reasons for this, including poor nutrition increasing vulnerability to colds and making them harder to shake off; other health problems such as malaria depressing the immune system; crowded living conditions with close proximity to other children; frequent contact with animals; and exposure to indoor air pollution from burning wood, charcoal and animal dung for cooking. Or it could just be that noses are less frequently wiped.
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