PATH, WaterAid America report that diarrheal disease is overlooked

WASHINGTON PATH and WaterAid America released two reports Tuesday finding that the international aid community and developing-country governments are not targeting diarrheal disease, a leading killer of children under age 5 worldwide that is responsible for the deaths of nearly 1.6 million children annually.

“The global health community knows what is necessary to save the lives of children suffering from diarrheal disease,” stated John Wecker, director of the Immunization Solutions and Rotavirus Vaccine Program at PATH. “And now is the time to educate policymakers, donors and international and national leaders about the need to implement the solutions to prevent and treat the most severe causes.”

According to the reporters, there are more lifesaving prevention and treatment solutions for diarrheal disease than any other major childhood killer, including safe water; improved sanitation and hygiene; breastfeeding and optimal complementary feeding; rotavirus vaccines; zinc treatment; and oral rehydration therapy/oral rehydration solution.

The reports coincide with a World Health Organization review of data from studies of vaccines to prevent rotavirus — a common and lethal diarrheal disease — from clinical trials in Africa and Asia. The WHO will consider a global recommendation that every country introduce rotavirus vaccines into its routine immunization schedule based on this data.

“While diarrheal disease is a global killer, today the burden is greatest in developing nations in Africa and Asia where access to clean water, sanitation, and urgent medical care may be limited,” stated Nancy Bwalya-Mukumbuta, program manager at WaterAid in Zambia. “The international aid system and developing-country governments need to come together with a strong voice and respond to diarrheal disease, one of the leading causes of child mortality, in a targeted manner.”