Well-known TV host and UNICEF Ambassador in China Yang Lan (right) and Yin Yin Nwe, the UNICEF representative for China, show students the correct way to wash their hands at a school in Beijing during Global Handwashing Day on Friday. [China Daily]

The proper washing of hands can prevent millions of children around the globe from dying from pneumonia and diarrhea, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) emphasized on Friday.

"Hand washing seems to be a small hygienic behavior, however a lot of people are not aware of the importance of it. Washing hands with soap properly during critical moments, such as after using the toilet and before having food, is the most cost-effective way to prevent infectious diseases," said Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF representative for China.

UNICEF's research shows that more than 3.5 million children aged 5 and under die of diarrhea and pneumonia every year around the world, while proper hand washing can halve the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases and reduce respiratory diseases by 25 percent for children.

Global Handwashing Day fell on Oct 15 this year, and via drama, songs and drawing competitions about 300,000 children at 600 schools across China learned the correct way to wash their hands with soap.

"Although we teach and supervise students at school about washing their hands after using the toilet and before eating, we are not sure whether children do that at home," said Cao Hongru, a Grade 1 teacher at Bohai Primary School in Beijing.

"The campaign is really necessary as it tells children that washing their hands properly should be a good habit for their whole lives," Cao added.

"Washing your hands one more time is much better than taking one more tablet of antibiotic," Zhou Zhuokang, director of the infection control department at Hangzhou No 3 People's Hospital, was quoted as saying by Zhejiang Daily on Thursday.

Zhou added that washing hands correctly with soap can kill 95 percent of the bacteria on hands.

A survey of 1,000 Shanghai residents of different ages found that about 80 percent washed their hands only with water and the whole process lasted less than 30 seconds, a report from the Shanghai Morning Post said on Friday.

Lack of sanitary facilities, especially hand-washing equipment at public places, and the vast rural areas, can be barriers for hand washing.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that only 24 percent of schools had sanitary latrines and less than 36 percent of schools provided hand-washing facilities in 2007.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health showed that only 60 percent of the rural population had access to sanitary latrines by the end of 2008.

"UNICEF cannot solve the above problems on its own. Through advocating the importance of washing hands properly, we expect to influence the local government, communities and ordinary people to improve the whole situation," Nwe told China Daily.

(China Daily October 16, 2010)