Myriam Sidibe: The simple power of hand-washing

The simple power of hand-washing

Myriam Sidibe is a warrior in the fight against childhood disease. Her weapon of choice? A bar of soap. For cost-effective prevention against sickness, it’s hard to beat soapy hand-washing, which cuts down risk of pneumonia, diarrhea, cholera and worse. Sidibe, a public-health expert, makes a smart case for public-private partnerships to promote clean hands — and local, sustainable entrepreneurship.

Simple handwashing with soap can prevent up to half of deadly childhood diarrhea and cut respiratory infections by a third. Every day, the equivalent of 60 planes full of young children die from diseases that soap could help prevent. Although most households already have soap, cultural habits and perceptions about its value keep it from being used for handwashing. Harnessing the influence of brands and business can help shift these behaviors and save hundreds of thousands of lives each year.