Diarrheal Disease

Diarrheal disease is the second-leading killer of children under age five.

This means that each day, 4,000 children lose their lives to diarrhea. Its burden is greatest in the developing countries of Asia and Africa where access to clean water, sanitation, and urgent medical care may be limited.¹ This preventable and treatable disease was once a top priority, but a crowded health landscape, limited funding, and insufficient awareness of proven solutions have diminished the urgency to fight this common killer. 

Diarrhea is a tragedy not only because of the lives it takes, but also the life-long implications for millions of children who survive repeated episodes.

Persistent diarrhea can lead to malnutrition, which is a factor in stunted growth. Research has consistently shown that if a child is malnourished or regularly ill during the first few years of life, there are consequential negative effects on future cognitive development, education and productivity. Preventing diarrheal diseases among children under five can dramatically improve physical and cognitive development later in childhood.² 

Through the 1980s and 1990s, access to sanitation, clean water, and oral rehydration solution(ORS)—a treatment staple—helped slash diarrhea-related deaths by nearly half. But interest has waned, and mortality reductions have stagnated and even reversed in several countries.³ 

Controlling diarrheal disease is no longer a leading global priority. The unacceptable loss of life and wellbeing due to diarrheal disease can be stopped. 

We have done it before, and we can do it again.