in Less Developed Countries In many less developed countries,
diarrheal disease is the leading cause of death among children.
However, a recent review of data from a number of studies showed
that a 42%-47% reduction in diarrhea can occur when handwashing
with soap and water is introduced into a community. Thus,
handwashing promotion and interventions are estimated to have
the potential to prevent one million deaths from diarrheal
diseases (1). Most diarrheal diseases are spread by person-to-
person contact or by fecal-oral routes, many times by way of
contaminated hands. Handwashing can stop the spread of many
diarrheal disease-causing germs, such as typhoid and cholera, by
removing bacteria, parasites, and viruses from the hands.
Handwashing is integral to disease prevention in all parts of
the world; however, access to soap and water is limited in a
number of less developed countries. This lack of access is one
of many challenges to proper hygiene in less developed
countries. Effective handwashing interventi