- A million Ethiopian children lather up with soap on Handwashing Day

A million Ethiopian children lather up with soap on Handwashing Day

UNICEF - October 16, 2008

Addis Ababa's Maskal Square came alive in the spirit of handwashing yesterday as 1 million Ethiopian children united to wash their hands with soap and water in celebration of the first-ever Global Handwashing Day.

"The message is that the simple action of washing hands with soap saves lives," said UNICEF Ethiopia Officer-in-Charge Marc Rubin.

"The top four messages," he added, "are that washing hands with water alone is not enough, handwashing with soap can prevent diseases that kill millions of children needlessly every year, critical moments for handwashing are after using the toilet and before handling food, and handwashing is the single most cost-effective intervention." Read More.