United Nations Radio

Diarrhoea kills more children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined according to a new report issued today by the UN Children's Fund and the World Health Organization.

Child receiving oral rehydration salts

It's a tragedy that diarrhoea, which is little more than an inconvenience in the developed world, kills an estimated 1.5 million children each year says UNICEF Executive Director, Ann Veneman. She says inexpensive and effective treatments for diarrhoea exist, but in developing countries only 39 per cent of children with the disease receive the recommended treatment.

A new vaccine for Rotavirus, which is responsible for more than 40 per cent of all diarrhoea-related hospital admissions of children under five, has been found to be safe and effective but is still largely unavailable in most developing countries.

Dehydration, which can lead to death, is one of the most significant symptoms of diarrhoea, especially in children. The report says oral rehydration therapy is the cornerstone of fluid replacement and is a simple, inexpensive and life-saving remedy that prevents dehydration in children suffering diarrhoea.

Some 88 percent of diarrhoeal deaths worldwide are attributed to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene.

WHO says hand washing with soap has been shown to reduce the incidence of diarrhoeal disease by over 40 per cent, making it one of the most cost-effective treatments for reducing child deaths caused by diarrhoea.

Gail Walker, United Nations Radio.

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