Easy as Soap and Water: Clean Hands Save Lives

Schools and communities in more than 80 countries participated in Global Handwashing Day on October 15 to remind children about the importance of washing hands with soap as a critical habit to keep disease away.  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. The Bank carries roughly 26 projects that include hygiene promotion.