Why Handwashing?
Handwashing with soap is one of the most important public health interventions in the world.
GLOBALLY
Every year, 1.7
million children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday because of
diarrhea and pneumonia. Handwashing with soap is among the most effective
and inexpensive ways to prevent these diseases. This simple behavior can save
lives, cutting diarrhea by almost one-half and acute respiratory infections by
nearly one-quarter. Handwashing with soap impacts not just health and
nutrition, but also education, economics, and equity. We like to call this the
HN3E argument. You can learn about the role handwashing plays in each of these
areas by clicking the above tabs.
IN SIERRA LEONE:
Every year, 7,800 children die from Pneumonia and diarrhea, translating to daily and monthly deaths of 22 and 660 children respectively (WHO/ICM estimates). All these deaths can be reduced by one-half by improved hand washing behavior
