Selling soap: handwash or eyewash?

This is an interesting/amusing article on whether soap manufacturing companies are resorting to the rural market only for profits, or also for a social cause.

The facts: More than 6000 diarohhea related deaths in the world in a day. Diarohhea is caused due to bad sanitary conditions.

The propaganda: Must wash hands with soap before meals and after toilet. Use Lifebouy from HLL.

The accusations: This is a ploy. Washing hands is not as important as the supply of clean water, infrastructure for sewage systems, and garbage disposal. Companies are doing it only for earning profits.

The critique on the article: Even if not a 100% solution, washing hands does help, right? Even if the companies earn profits, so what: let a competitive economy take care of lowering prices, and leave the companies to extend their retail network into rural areas please. If the author must argue, then she should argue that the companies are conveying incorrect information to the people by saying that washing hands will solve all their problems. As long as they are not doing this, it is always good to educate people that washing hands is important.

My personal argument against companies on this topic will be that companies like HLL have ignored their socialist responsibilities, and they should use their profits from other products to fund better sanitary conditions for the villages.