Are You Having Diarrhea Disease? See Remedy

Diarrhea: What we know

• It causes death by depleting body fluids resulting in profound dehydration.
• Diarrhea can have a detrimental impact on childhood growth and cognitive development.
• About 88% of diarrhea-associated deaths are attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient hygiene.
• Rotavirus is the leading cause of acute diarrhea and causes about 40% of hospitalizations for diarrhea in children under 5.
• Most diarrheal germs are spread from the stool of one person to the mouth of another. These germs are usually spread through contaminated water, food, or objects.
• Diarrhea Deaths

  Diarrhea kills more children than malaria, measles, and AIDS combined.

  Proportional distribution of cause-specific deaths among children under five years of age.

• Water, food, and objects become contaminated with stool in many ways:
  • People and animals defecate in or near water sources that people drink.
  • Contaminated water is used to irrigate crops.
  • Food preparers do not wash their hands before cooking.
  • People with contaminated hands touch objects, such as doorknobs, tools,
    or cooking utensils.

Diarrhea: Proven Ways to Save Lives

• Vaccinate for rotavirus
• Provide
  • Safe water
  • Adequate sanitation and human waste disposal
• Promote
  • Handwashing with soap
  • Breastfeeding to reduce exposure to contaminated water
• Treat appropriately with oral rehydration therapy and antibiotics
• Train health care providers and community health workers on diarrhea treatment
• Educate mothers and caretakers about caring for ill children and when to seek medical assistance
• Build laboratory diagnostic capability and identify the causes of diarrhea

What Can Be Done

Use effective interventions and proven treatment for diarrhea.

Governments and ministries of health can:

• Provide rotavirus vaccination
• Invest in safe drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation infrastructure
• Monitor progress and needs through the collection, analysis, and reporting of quality data
• Support clear and targeted health promotion and behavior change programs

Non-governmental/aid organizations can:

• Increase the adoption of proven measures against diarrhea
• Rotavirus vaccination
•  Breastfeeding
• Oral rehydration therapy
• Household and community systems for treating and storing water
• Educate communities on the importance of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene
• Enhance and support government initiatives that invest in safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure
• Ensure the sustainability of interventions
• Focus on the provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene when responding to emergency and conflict situations

Health care providers and clinical facilities can:

• Ensure availability of adequate medical supplies such as oral rehydration solution
• Improve training programs for health workers and educate them on the proper treatment of diarrhea
• Ensure that facilities for handwashing, provision of safe water, and proper disposal of human waste are provided at ALL healthcare facilities
• Encourage appropriate antibiotic use
• Meet demand for health workers
• Support community health workers
• Improve training programs
• Seek creative ways to motivate them

Communities can:

• Support and promote the importance of community health workers
• Ensure safe water is provided close to people’s homes
• Discourage/eliminate open defecation
• Develop strategies for proper disposal of human waste
• Construct basic sanitation facilities
• Promote handwashing

Ways Of Preventing Diarrhea And Saving Lives

Safe water/adequate sanitation: Treat water before use and dispose of waste safely.

Improved hygiene: Wash hands when appropriate.

Routine vaccination: Provide rotavirus vaccine.