A couple of months ago my partner Lola told us about a UNICEF study on childhood in sub-Saharan Africa and how a habit as daily as washing your hands could save the lives of thousands of children.
That is why, as part of its campaign to combat this situation, UNICEF has launched the first edition of World Handwashing Day, which will be held tomorrow October 15.
According to the organization, just by washing your hands with soap before eating or after using the bathroom, deaths of children from diarrhea could be reduced by half. In addition to helping reduce the incidence of respiratory infections such as pneumonia, which today is the leading cause of death among children under five.
The campaign to be held in more than 60 developing countries, especially in Asia and Africa, plans to carry out various activities in schools where children will be the protagonists, since the idea is to educate the little ones, so that they can teach to his parents or the rest of his family.
According to UNICEF data, the practice of washing your hands before eating or after using the bathroom is much less frequent than you think, and ranges from 0 to 34 percent of children.
The truth is that all these campaigns have immense value in the fight against infant mortality rates in developing countries, where there is still an immense way to go.
