Diarrhea: The Grim Reaper's Crop

Diarrhea kills more children than AIDS, malaria and measles put together. Approximately 1.5 million children die each year from diarrheal diseases according to a report issued Wednesday afternoon by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

About 2.5 billion cases of diarrhea are recorded each year. For last five years, half of cases have taken place in Africa and South Asia. Among the countries where three quarters of deaths from dehydration caused by diarrhea occur, are India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

Babies who are not breastfed during the first six months of life are six times more likely to die of infectious diseases, including diarrhea than those who are breastfed.

In developing countries, only 39% of children under five with diarrhea receive oral rehydration and feeding, necessary for a fast recovery. Although highly effective as the treatment of diarrhea zinc tablets remain "largely unknown in most developing countries," the report said.

A simple way to fight against this scourge is to wash hands with soap, a gesture that would reduce incidence of diarrheal diseases by about 40%.

Problem: the countries most affected by diarrhea are experiencing serious shortages of water, have inadequate sanitation (water is unsafe) and 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have proper sanitary facilities at all.

In 2006, in developing countries, about one of four residents practiced defecating anywhere outdoors. Just in India alone, 665 million people do just like this.

The report points out that "There is a vaccine against rotavirus, which is the most common cause of acute diarrhea in children. The problem is that it is not available in most developing countries. The WHO hopes that its introduction into the most affected areas will become "an international absolute priority."

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