Chapter . From Hand to Mouth—The HHL Soap Story

 

Every time a diarrheal episode takes place, and for a poor family this could be two to six times a year, there are treatment costs, there are medicine costs, there are doctor costs. And so there is a spectrum of savings that is amassed.”

 
 --Yuri Jain

Diarrhea is the third-highest cause of death in the world in the category of infectious diseases, behind only acute respiratory infections and AIDS. It accounts for 2.2 million deaths annually.[1] The paradox of diarrheal disease is that the solution is known and inexpensive, but it is difficult to reach and educate the poor about the need to wash their hands with soap. Diarrheal disease is particularly prevalent in the developing world and takes a ...

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