Tag: sanitation

Paper towels may remove virus missed by poor hand washing: study

by Kelly MACNAMARA Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — People should dry their hands with paper towels to avoid spreading the new coronavirus, according to the authors of a study published on Friday that finds disposable tissues are better than jet dryers at removing pathogens missed by ineffective washing. Global health authorities have highlighted the crucial importance of washing hands with soap and water to protect against COVID-19, which has killed tens of thousands […]

Millions malnourished in Pakistan despite abundance of food

by Ashraf KHAN A frantic mother cradling her seven-month-old baby rushes towards the special paediatric ward in a desolate Pakistan town, his eyes are blank and he is smaller than most newborns. He is starving in a country that has no shortage of food, but which has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and where malnutrition is rife. The infant weighs just 2.5 kilograms — the average for a healthy child […]

Two billion people drinking contaminated water: WHO

Geneva, Switzerland (AFP) — Dramatic improvements are needed in ensuring access to clean water and sanitation worldwide, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning that nearly two billion people currently use faecal-contaminated water. Hundreds of thousands of people die each year because they are forced to drink contaminated water, the WHO said, urging large investments to help provide universal access to safe drinking water. “Today, almost two billion people use a source of drinking-water contaminated with […]