Washing hands could reduce diarrhoea deaths by 40%: UNICEF

Washing hands with soap after defecation could check up to 40% deaths caused by diarrhoea in children, a UNICEF analysis suggests.

The UNICEF analysis also says that washing hands properly could prove to be the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, which claim lives of millions of children.

Working to bring about a behavioural change in the mindset of people towards sanitation for building a healthier society, UNICEF sanitation specialist, Nagendra Singh today said that as per the analysis, handwashing can be a critical measure in controlling pandemic outbreaks of respiratory infections by 55%.

In China, it has been proved that promotion and distribution of soap in primary schools resulted in reducing absenteeism by 54%.

Singh pointed out that a recent study has shown that proper handwashing by birth attendants and mothers significantly increased the survival rates of new-born children by 44%.

Stating that ensuring proper sanitation both in the rural and urban areas is the biggest challenge, UNICEF water, environment and sanitation specialist Amit Mehrotra said that one gram human excreta has one lakh virus and the  magnitude of infection can be imagined in a place where 65% people still defecate in the open.