Diarrhoea Need Not Kill

The diarrhoeal disease scenario Diarrhoeal disease has long been recognized as the greatest killer of infants and young children in the developing world Well over 500 million ep&odes of diarrhoea in children under five are estimated to occur annually in Asia, Africa and Latin America. At least five million children die. Diarrhoeal disease is a major contriiutory factor to malnutrition. Recurrent diarrhoea coupled with inadequate feeding results in impaired body defence mechanisms. Malnourished children have up to a 50% higher incidence of diarrhoeal disease and suffer more severe attacks than normally nourished children Although diarrhoeal diseases are most ofien lethal among the very young, they are a major cause of ill health and of death among children and adults of all ages, adding to the huge burden of the many communicable diseases prevalent in the developing world