The international community on Monday observed Global Handwashing Day, GlobalPost reports in a roundup of news coverage surrounding the day. “According to the Guardian, 3,000 children under the age of five die each day from diarrhea alone, making it the second most common cause of child mortality worldwide,” GlobalPost writes. “While it may seem trivial, science has proved handwashing education necessary,” the news service continues, noting Lifebuoy soap estimates that by promoting handwashing “over the last five years the number of deaths caused by diarrhea have been cut in half.” According to GlobalPost, India’s Economic Times reports “a review of 11 countries showed the average rate of handwashing after using the toilet is only 17 percent” (Leasca, 10/15).

“Teaching children to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating could save more lives than any single vaccine, according to the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing,” the Huffington Post’s “Impact” blog writes in a post highlighting a number of resources about the day (10/15). In a news release, UNICEF “said it has new data showing how the practice of handwashing varies from country to country and is influenced by location, culture and wealth,” the U.N. News Centre writes, and provides examples (10/15).