Hand Washing Improves Health In Pakistan

Household hand washing with soap reduced diarrhea illnesses by about 50%, according to study conducted in Karachi, Pakistan, by Procter & Gamble and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Regular soap and antibacterial soap were distributed. Without proper washing, 10% of children in such camps die before age five and 40% of those deaths are caused by diarrhea, said the CDC’s Dr. Stephen Luby. Hand washing with regular soap markedly prevented diarrhea among malnourished children and children under 12 months of age, according to results. Antibacterial soap did not kill viruses and bacteria that caused diarrhea.