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BENEFITS BEYOND HEALTH
The cost-effectiveness of handwashing
Handwashing with soap is the single most cost-effective
intervention and it reduces
disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)
related to diarrheal diseases by a significant margin.
Research shows that every $3.35 invested in
handwashing programs prevents one disability-adjusted life year
(DALYs). In comparison, gaining that same year by promoting
latrines would cost $11, and promoting household water
connection would cost more than $200. Failing to invest in
handwashing promotion therefore means missing very inexpensive
life-saving opportunities
Research suggests that soap is available in most
households in the world, including poor households in developing
countries although it is primarily used for bathing and washing
clothes.
What are DALYs?
The term DALYs (Disability-Adjusted Life
Years) is used to measure the burden of disease and the
effectiveness of health interventions by combining
information on the “years of life lost” and the “years lived
with disability”.
Impact on education
Handwashing with soap can mean more school days for children.
Diarrhea is responsible for children missing
hundreds of millions of school days every year. By having
children integrate the habit of handwashing with soap in their
daily routines, school absenteeism could be reduced
substantially. A recent
study suggests that handwashing with soap at critical
times could help reduce school absenteeism by around 42%.
For this to happen, children must have access to
soap in schools. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
UNICEF and IRC conducted
research in 2006 by in six developing countries that
showed low rates of soap availability in schools. The report
concluded, “ensuring students’ access to soap is urgently
needed.”
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