Unlike other childhood killers for which effective interventions are still years away, we have the tools in hand to combat diarrheal disease and the fatal dehydration it can cause.
Established interventions such as infant and young child feeding, oral rehydration therapy, and water and sanitation, plus new tools including vaccines and zinc and other micronutrients, bring new opportunities to re-invigorate diarrheal disease control. Addressing both prevention and treatment together offers the potential to maximize health improvements. A coordinated approach that combines interventions may be cost-effective and could lead to faster uptake than promoting each alone.1 And national planning that considers all available options allows flexibility for designing an approach appropriate for varying needs in different countries.
1 Baqui AH, Black RE, El Arifeen S, Yunus M, Zaman K, Begum N, Roess AA, Santosham M. Zinc therapy for diarrhoea increased the use of oral rehydration therapy and reduced the use of antibiotics in Bangladeshi children. Journal of Health Population and Nutrition. 2004 Dec;22(4):440-442.