Clean Hands Save Lives

Source: World Bank news release

Diarrheal disease and acute respiratory infections kill more than 3.5 million children under the age of five each year, according to UNICEF’s State of the World Children Report. But washing hands with soap can reduce child mortality by 44 percent in the case of diarrheal disease, and 23 percent for acute respiratory infections.

Last year, October 15 was designated as the Global Handwashing Day and a worldwide awareness-raising campaign was started by the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, an international initiative of which the World Bank is a founding member. Schools and communities in more than 80 countries were to participate in activities this October 15 to remind children about the importance of washing hands with soap as a critical habit to keep disease away.