We fund a Bolivian-based program run by a rural nursing school that reaches schools and communities throughout its province to promote hand-washing and dental care.
That should excite you!
Why?
Because to public health specialists such a program is fantastic, even "exciting!" And you should believe them.
Children practicing hand-washing, via School of Nursing at Pucarani. |
The handy chart below from the Global Handwashing Partnership shows how hand-washing is considered one of the MOST COST-EFFECTIVE interventions for lessening deaths and disability:
Chart via Global Handwashing Partnership blog. |
By decreasing diarrhea and acute respiratory infection frequency, hand-washing lessens death rate of children, missed school days for children, malnutrition, and delayed growth of children. Remarkably, research shows hand-washing promotion remains effective even years after a program finishes as folks continue the new habits, and it seems to be self-promoting as others in a community pick up the habit.
Hand-washing promotion isn't only cost-effective, it likely makes money many-fold for societies by avoiding costs of illness and maintaining children's health.
--Timothy Malia, MD
Medical Director & Co-Founder, AAVia Foundation for the Health of Bolivian Children
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