We are reminded of the importance of handwashing with soap and clean water each year on Global Handwashing Day. The annual event was established to raise awareness of the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective way to prevent disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that proper handwashing can:
Reduce the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 23 – 40%
Reduce diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58%
Reduce respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by 16 – 21%
Reduce absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in schoolchildren by 29 – 57%
To honor Global Handwashing Day, here are three reasons to wash your hands with soap daily.
