UNICEF and WHO launch report on diarrhea, the second greatest killer of children
Report addresses why children are still dying and what can be done
NEW YORK (October 14, 2009) — Despite the existence of inexpensive and efficient means of treatment, diarrhea kills more children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined, according to a report issued today by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The report, titled "Diarrhea: Why Children Are Still Dying and What Can Be Done," includes information on the causes of diarrhea, data on access to means of prevention and treatment, and a seven-point plan to reduce diarrhea deaths.
"In the developing world, 24,000 children under the age of five die every day from preventable causes like diarrhea contracted from unclean water," said Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "It is truly a tragedy that these deaths take place since inexpensive and effective treatments for diarrhea already exist. It is our mission to reduce these unnecessary deaths to zero… we are calling on the American public to join our campaign to believe in zero."
Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, said: "We know where children are dying of diarrhea. We know what must be done to prevent those deaths. We must work with governments and partners to put this seven-point plan into action."
Diarrhea is a common symptom of gastrointestinal infection, which can have a variety of sources. However just a handful of organisms are responsible for most acute cases of diarrhea and one, Rotavirus, is responsible for more than 40 percent of all diarrhea-related hospital admissions of children under five. A new vaccine for Rotavirus has been found to be safe and effective but is still largely unavailable in most developing countries.
Though most episodes of childhood diarrhea are mild, acute cases can lead to significant fluid loss and dehydration. This dehydration can lead to death unless fluids are quickly replaced. Oral rehydration therapy is the cornerstone of fluid replacement and the new low-osmolarity formula of oral rehydration salts (ORS) is a simple, inexpensive and lifesaving remedy that prevents dehydration in children suffering diarrhea.
Some 88 percent of diarrheal deaths worldwide are attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. As of 2006, an estimated 2.5 billion people around the world were not using adequate sanitation facilities, and about 1 in 4 people in developing countries practiced open defecation.
Access to clean water and good hygiene practices are extremely effective in preventing childhood diarrhea. Hand washing with soap has been shown to reduce the incidence of diarrheal disease by over 40 percent, making it one of the most cost-effective interventions for reducing child deaths caused by this neglected killer.
The overall health and nutrition of children is also critical to their susceptibility to diarrhea and the damage it can cause. Undernourished children are at higher risk of suffering more frequent, severe and prolonged episodes of diarrhea, and repeated bouts of diarrhea also place children at greater risk of worsening nutritional status.
The seven–point plan to save the lives of children stricken by diarrhea includes two treatment and five prevention elements.
The two treatment elements are:
- Fluid replacement to prevent dehydration
- Zinc treatments, which decrease the severity and duration of the attack
The five prevention elements are:
- Immunization against rotavirus and measles
- Early and exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin A supplementation
- Hand washing with soap
- Improved water supply quantity and quality
- Promoting community-wide sanitation
Campaigns targeting childhood diarrhea in the 1970s and 1980s achieved success by educating caregivers and scaling up oral rehydration therapy to prevent dehydration. The campaigns delivered promising results but following that success, focus shifted to other health problems. There is now an urgent need to shift attention and resources back to treating and preventing diarrhea.
About UNICEF
UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Working in over 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States.
UNICEF is at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality worldwide. There has been substantial progress—the annual number of under-five deaths dropped from 13 million in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008. But still, 24,000 children die each day from preventable causes. Our mission is to do whatever it takes to make that number zero by giving children the essentials for a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org
CONTACT
Richard Alleyne, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 212.880.9177, ralleyne@unicefusa.org
