Diarrheal disease statistics by source:
Improvements in safe water & sanitation decreased diarrheal DALYs by 13.4% and reductions in childhood undernutrition decreased diarrheal DALYs by 10.0% between the years of 2005 and 2015. (DALY is “Disability-Adjusted Life Year” so one lost year of healthy life)
Rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrheal deaths with shigella and salmonella following
For children under 5 - rotavirus, cryptosporidium, and shigella
In 2015, it caused 1.3 million deaths annually and 499,000 deaths among children under 5
It is in the top ten leading cause of death among all ages
It is the cause of 8.6% of all deaths of children under 5, and 42% of those deaths occur in India and Nigeria alone
Lead author Dr. Ali Mokdad, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IMHE) at University of Washington states this:
“Despite some promising reductions in mortality, the devastating impact of these diseases cannot be overlooked. Immediate and sustained actions must be taken to help low-income countries address this problem by increasing healthcare access and use of oral rehydration solutions.”
Diarrheal disease is most common in low-income countries with poor access to clean water, sanitation, and urgent medical care
“The authors (of The Lancot) note some limitations to their study, including that there is a scarcity of data in sub-Saharan Africa - where the disease burden is the highest - which may mean the results are underestimated.”
The number of child deaths caused by diarrhea reduced by a third between 2005-2015, but mortality rates remain highest in some of the world
Accounted for 8% of all deaths in children under 5 in 2016; this means over 1300 young children dying each day from this preventable disease
Most deaths from diarrhea occur among children less than 2 years of age living in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
From 2000-2016, the total annual number of deaths from diarrhea among children under 5 decreased by 60%. Many more children could be saved through basic interventions.
“Children who are poor, hungry, and living in remote areas are most likely to be visited by these ‘forgotten killers.’ The burden that pneumonia and diarrrhea place on families and health systems in low-resource countries further exacerbates existing inequalities.”
These deaths are not evenly throughout the globe: they are recorded in the least-resourced countries and in the poorest populations within those countries. Children in these places are more likely to fall victim to these diseases, but have worse access to medical care despite being in greater need of it.
Diarrhoea is a leading killer of children, accounting for approximately 8 per cent of all deaths among children under age 5 worldwide in 201
WHO (World Health Organization)
Worldwide, 780 million people do not have access to improved drinking water and 2.5 million lack improved sanitation. Because of this, diarrheal disease is often spread through infection in developing countries.
In low-income countries, children under three years old experience on average three episodes of diarrhea every year. Each episode deprives the child of the nutrition necessary for growth. As a result, diarrhea is a major cause of malnutrition, and malnourished children are more likely to fall ill from diarrhea.
Diarrhoeal disease: WHO fact sheet on diarrhoeal disease provides key facts and information on scope, causes, prevention and treatment, WHO
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
According to the United Nations and UNICEF, one in five girls of primary-school age are not in school, compared to one in six boys. One factor accounting for this difference is the lack of sanitation facilities for girls reaching puberty. Girls are also more likely to be responsible for collecting water for their family, making it difficult for them to attend school during school hours. (This is not really related to diarrheal disease, but it goes to show how how much of a difference having access to clean water and sanitation can make on the lives of so many children. Clean water and sanitation keeps children in school and healthy!) Also the installation of toilets and latrines may enable school children, especially menstruating girls, to further their education by remaining in the school system.
Improved water sources reduce diarrhea morbidity by 21%; improved sanitation reduces diarrhea morbidity by 37.5%; and the simple act of washing hands at critical times can reduce the number of diarrhea cares by as much as 35%.
Improvement of drinking water quality, such as point-of-use disinfection, would to a 45% reduction in diarrhea episodes. (United Nations Millennium Project. Health, Dignity, and Development: What Will it Take?)
Education and information about global water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including fast facts and interesting information related to glo
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