Unicef ​​singing Happy Birthday while washing his hands

Every day, 1,400 children die from polluted water

03/22/2014

Every day, around 1,400 children under the age of five die from diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated drinking water, a lack of toilets and a lack of hygiene. This was announced by the children's charity Unicef ​​on the occasion of World Water Day.

Diarrhea caused by contaminated drinking water
Worldwide, around 1,400 children under the age of five die from diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated drinking water, a lack of toilets and a lack of hygiene. This was announced by the children's charity Unicef ​​on the occasion of World Water Day on this Saturday. Especially babies and toddlers would get sick because their immune system is still weak. The World Water Day is celebrated annually since 1993 on March 22 and is this year under the motto: „Water and energy“.

When washing hands „happy Birthday“ to sing
In order to fight bacteria and viruses, it is always important to wash your hands regularly. Unicef ​​advises children in the Philippines to wash their hands twice when washing their hands with soap „happy Birthday“ to sing, because this is the optimal duration to remove the most dangerous bacteria and viruses. Other experts advise regularly to wash their hands several times a day to protect themselves from dangerous infectious diseases.

„Lighten up!“
Unicef ​​wants to start the nationwide campaign this Saturday „Lighten up!“ Raise money for better sanitation in developing countries. For example, in addition to reverse vending machines in supermarkets, donation boxes are to be set up where customers can throw their pawns. The Kinderhilfswerk wants to provide at least 500,000 children with safe drinking water by 2015 and provide access to hygienic latrines.

770 million people without clean drinking water
Around 770 million people worldwide have no access to clean drinking water and about 2.5 billion people lack hygienic latrines or toilets. Unicef ​​implements drinking water and sanitation programs in more than 100 countries around the world. The United Nations Children's Fund coordinates the supply of drinking water and latrines, as well as hygiene education, in the event of major crises in the Philippines, Syria, South Sudan or the Central African Republic. Christian Schneider, CEO of Unicef ​​Germany stated in a press release: „Especially in emergency situations such as after the typhoon in the Philippines or in war zones, clean water and hygiene are a matter of life and death.“ (Ad)

Picture: Gerd Altmann, Pixelio