Diarrhoea deaths globally go down by a third
Diarrhoea deaths globally go down by a third: Researchers have found that Between 2005 and 2015, number of children dying worldwide of diarrhoea fell by a third.
According to a launcet study, it has been declared that better access to clean water and sanitation is the key, which results in fewer weak and malnourished people becoming infected.
The study further claims that new vaccines have also had a positive impact. However, it has been said that diarrhoea is so far the fourth-biggest killer of children globally, it has been claimed that diarrhoea results in the death of 500,000 children a year, with them dying before their fifth birthday.
It is estimated that this figure could be a significant under estimate because of the lack of data in sub-Saharan Africa, where most cases occur.
The research further says that diarrhoea is also indirectly responsible for large numbers of deaths, which is possibly because diarrhoea exaggerates the effects of other diseases, such as pneumonia and measles.
According to the annalyst who had observed the data by the new Global Burden of Disease, found that well over a third (42%) of deaths happen in Nigeria and India.
Rotavirus and cholera Diarrhoeal diseases are spread by water contaminated with faeces. These are treatable and preventable.
According to the lead author Dr Ali Mokdad, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington “Diarrhoeal diseases disproportionately affect young children.” He further added that “Despite some promising reductions in mortality, the devastating impact of these diseases cannot be overlooked.”
- 39 billion episodes of diarrhoea
- Almost half of those (957.5 million) involved children.
- 3 million deaths
- Including 499,000 child deaths
- The highest death rates were in Chad and Niger
In the study it has been claimed that while deaths from diarrhoea have dropped by just over 20% overall, and 34% in children, the rate of infection on the other hand has been falling down slowly.
According to the study for children it had dropped by just over 10% between 2005 and 2015.
The study says that of all the diarrhoeal diseases, rotavirus still remains the biggest killer of under-fives year old age group.
However the research says that death rates for the disease were down by 44% in 2015.
Conversely the researchers have attributed much of this to a relatively new vaccine.
Senior policy analyst on health and hygiene at WaterAid, Yael Velleman said “We’re encouraged to see fewer children dying of diarrhoea,” said Yael Velleman, But it is unacceptable that diarrhoea still claims the lives of nearly half a million children under five each year. Up to 50% of under-nutrition is linked to chronic infection, diarrhoea and worm infestation caused by dirty water and poor hygiene.”
She said that those children’s life chances were limited by preventable illness “all for the lack of conditions we have been taking for granted in the UK for over 100 years.”
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