This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Medical experts say the most effective way to prevent the spreadof disease is for people to wash their hands with soap and water.

The World Bank, the UnitedNations, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicinecarried out a study to urge hand- washing around the world. They saythat programs to increase hand- washing with soap could be among themost effective ways to reduce infectious disease. They say thatone-million lives could be saved each year if people washed theirhands with soap often.

Doctors say many diseases can be prevented from spreading byhand-washing. These include pinworms, influenza, the common cold,hepatitis A, meningitis and infectious diarrhea.

Hand-washing destroys germs from other people, animals or objectsa person has touched. When people get bacteria on their hands, theycan infect themselves by touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Thenthese people can infect other people.

The experts say the easiest way to catch a cold is to touch yournose or eyes after someone nearby has sneezed or coughed. Anotherway to become sick is to eat food prepared by someone whose handswere not clean.

The experts say that hand-washing is especially important beforeand after preparing food, before eating and after using the toilet.People should wash their hands after handling animals or animalwaste, and after cleaning a baby. The experts say it is also a goodidea to wash your hands after handling money and after sneezing orcoughing. And it is important to wash your hands often when someonein your home is sick.

The experts say the most effective way to wash your hands is torub them together after using soap and warm water. They say you donot have to use special anti-bacterial soap. Be sure to rub allareas of the hands for about ten to fifteen seconds. The soap andthe rubbing action remove germs. Rinse the hands with water and drythem.

Experts say that people using public bathrooms should dry theirhands with a paper towel and use the towel to turn off the water.They also advise using the paper towel to open the bathroom doorbefore throwing the towel away.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by NancySteinbach.