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Not an anti-semitic nazi freak
9/2/2002 (19:36) |
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Handwashing could save millions
London, Sept 2, IRNA -- A campaign to promote handwashing with soap
in developing countries aims to help save a million lives a year.
The initiative will be launched at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg on Monday, according to the BBC News
Online.
It follows research, by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine, which found that widespread handwashing could almost halve
the number of deaths from diarrhoea-related diseases worldwide.
Diarrhoeal diseases kill 200 children an hour - more than either
Aids or malaria.
While most households in the world have soap and water, very few
use them together to wash their hands, especially not after cleaning
up a dirty baby or going to the toilet.
Researchers from the London school will join forces with the
representatives from the World Bank and the Water Sanitation Programme
to launch the campaign.
They want soap companies and governments to work together to
promote handwashing.
Such partnerships have already had significant success in Central
America, and are now being launched in Ghana and India.
Dr Val Curtis, of the London School said: 'Handwashing with soap
is a bit like a do-it-yourself vaccine.
'It should be adopted across the world, just as vaccines are, if
we are to achieve our goal of halving deaths from diarrhoea.'
Dr Curtis said successful implementation of the campaign could
increase sales of soap in developing countries by 50%.
Jennifer Sara, a sector specialist at the World Bank, said: 'The
public sector, has everything to gain from reducing the public health
burden presented by diarrhoeal disease and has access to a huge
network of potential outlets such as health centres and clinics,
community nurses , midwives and health visitors.'
KS/KS
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