Wash hands with soap to prevent disease, UNICEF tells kids

Millions of children around the world will be encouraged to wash their hands with soap on Wednesday to mark the UN's first Global Handwashing Day.

The campaign, to be carried out in part by UNICEF, is designed to send the message that handwashing with soap is an easy and effective way to prevent diarrheal disease and pneumonia.

Sarah Crowe, spokeswoman for UNICEF in South Asia, told CBC News that 76 countries are taking part in the day. The campaign is expected to focus on children with events in schools.

"We're hoping that today, the 15th of October, will be the start of something quite historic when this very ordinary act of washing hands with soap will turn out to be quite extraordinary for millions of children across the world," Crowe said.

Crowe said deaths by diarrhea and pneumonia "can be very easily prevented by the simple act of washing hands with soap."

According to UNICEF, the two illnesses are responsible for 3.5 million deaths of children every year.

The UN General Assembly declared 2008 to be the International Year of Sanitation. The Global Handwashing Day is part of the year and underlines its call for improved sanitation and hygiene practices.

In a news release on Wednesday, UNICEF said children in particular suffer when good sanitation is in short supply and poor hygiene is the norm.

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