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Handwashing

  • Only 1 in 5 (19%) people globally wash their hands with soap after using the toilet.
  • 1 in 3 primary schools worldwide does not have handwashing facilities.
  • Around 310,000 children die each year from diarrheal diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation. That’s over 800 children each day, or one child every two minutes.
  • 443 million school days are lost every year because of water-related illnesses.
  • 785 million people in the world – one in nine – do not have clean water close to home.
  • Handwashing with soap reduces the risk of diarrheal diseases by 42-47%.
  • Lack of access to sanitation and poor hygiene contribute to approximately 88% of childhood deaths caused by diarrheal diseases.