MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2020) Two in five schools worldwide did not have even basic handwashing facilities in place before the outbreak of COVID-19, according to a joint report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday, raising concerns as children are set to begin returning to full-time education.
According to the report, 43 percent of schools worldwide lacked access to soap and water in 2019, and UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said that these resources were vital to getting children back into schools.
"We must prioritize children's learning. This means making sure that schools are safe to reopen - including with access to hand hygiene, clean drinking water and safe sanitation," Fore said in a press release.
The report found that 818 million children across the globe do not have handwashing facilities at their place of education. More than one-third of these children are from sub-Saharan Africa, the WHO and UNICEF stated, adding that seven in 10 schools in the least developed countries lack these facilities.
"Access to water, sanitation and hygiene services is essential for effective infection prevention and control in all settings, including schools," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Regular handwashing can protect against the coronavirus disease, according to guidance issued by the WHO. The organization has advised people to wash their hands often, for no less than 40 seconds at a time.
