Coronavirus: UN warns that 3 billion people do not have soap and water

While several countries are fighting the new coronavirus pandemic  with containment measures and restrictions on displacement and social activities, the United Nations (UN) has warned that almost 3 billion people do not even have the basic protection weapons: drinking water and soap. The pandemic has so far infected more than 200,000 people worldwide and has killed more than 9,000 since it emerged in China in December.

The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) estimates that 40% of the world population, that is, 3 billion people, lack the means to wash their hands at home due to the lack of easy access to drinking water, as they are unable to buying soap or simply because of the lack of awareness of the importance of this practice.

“Even among healthcare professionals, the importance of washing hands is not always understood,” says Sam Godfrey, director of Unicef ​​for water and sanitation in eastern and southern Africa , considered one of the regions most affected by water scarcity and soap.

"It is almost like a disease of the rich for Africa, which will certainly end up affecting mainly the poor", highlights Godfrey, recalling that the first contagions were imported from international trips

In sub-Saharan Africa, 63% of the population in urban areas - 258 million people - cannot wash their hands, according to Unicef ​​data. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday 18, the African continent reported only 233 cases - less than 0.1% of cases worldwide - and 4 deaths.