machete | the blog

Global Handwashing Day, October 15, 2008. A brilliant idea being implemented by the right organization, the United Nations. With diseases flourishing and spreading at a rampant pace throughout the developing world this initiative comes at a most critical moment.

In the U.S. and other ‘developed’ nations diarrhea is something we treat with over the counter (OTC) medications and very rarely seek medical attention - the problem just goes away and one returns to ‘regularity.’ Well, this is not the case in the third-world, where diarrhea is a real threat - it’s a fatal disease; in fact, it is the second most common cause of death for children under the age of five. Globally, about 2 million child deaths (children under five) occur every year. (UNICEF)

Handwashing alone, “at critical times“, can reduce diarrheal diseases by over 40% and respiratory infections by 30%. Governments of lesser developed countries should be focusing on these simple methods of disease prevention. Considering that access to resources is extremely limited in such nations it is still very possible to educate the public in an efficient, effective, and affordable manner. Printing up loads of informational pamphlets and creating micro-websites are great ideas - but people at the bottom of the pyramid have terribly low literacy rates and access to technology is just about non-existent.

—- — — -
Let’s use Pakistan as an example. A nation like Pakistan could realistically implement a nation-wide program, at very low cost, to reduce the diarrhea-related death rate - “250,000 children die of diarrhoea in Pakistan annually.” Since we already have real scientific proof that handwashing on its own greatly reduces the incidence of diarrhea, we are in a good position to assume that even the leanest campaign will save thousands of lives. A recent scientific study published in, The Lancet, and conducted in Karachi, Pakistan proved that children younger than 15 that washed their hands with soap exhibited a 53% lower incidence of diarrhea.

Here’s a concept for Pakistani health officials:

• Recruit 131 volunteers (unpaid, but with expenses reimbursed)
• Assign each volunteer to one of Pakistan’s 131 districts (124 districts + 7 tribal agencies)
• 15 Days to reach 15 pre-determined destinations in each district
• Meet officials and, more importantly, mingle with locals within each destination
• Tell them why handwashing is important. Scare them with statistics. Enthuse them with facts.

I don’t believe this is a case of ‘easier said than done.’ The expenses are rock bottom: Five paid program managers (each managing 26 volunteers); travel expenses for 131 volunteers (fuel, bus/taxi, meals, mobile phones); and that’s it, well pretty much.

Great Resources on Diarrhea and Water Sanitation:

• Rehydration Project
• Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
• IRC International Water and Sanitation Center
• World Health Organization (WHO) Pages on Diarrhea
• “Diarrhoea and respiratory infections are the main cause of child death in India” - BBC

Source: UNICEF