October 15 is Global Handwashing Day.

Some 88 % of diarrheal deaths worldwide are attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene, including lack of hand-washing with soap.

An estimated 2.5 billion people don’t use adequate sanitation facilities, and about 1 in 4 people in developing countries openly defecate.

Access to clean water and good hygiene practices, including hand-washing, are extremely effective in preventing diarrhea, which kills millions of children through dehydration.

Hand washing with soap has been shown to reduce the incidence of diarrheal disease by over 40%, making it one of the most cost-effective interventions for reducing child deaths caused by this neglected killer.

Diarrhea is a common symptom of gastrointestinal infection. A  few of organisms are responsible for most acute cases of diarrhea, and Rotavirus causes more than 40% of all diarrhea-related hospital admissions of children under age five.

A new vaccine for Rotavirus is safe and effective, but it’s largely unavailable in most developing countries. Though most childhood diarrhea is mild, acute cases can lead to significant fluid loss and dehydration. This dehydration can lead to death unless fluids are quickly replaced. Oral rehydration therapy is the cornerstone of fluid replacement, and the new low-osmolarity formula of oral rehydration salts (ORS) is a simple, inexpensive and life-saving remedy that prevents dehydration in children suffering diarrhea.

The overall health and nutrition of children affects kids’ susceptibility to diarrhea and the damage it can cause.  Undernourished children are at higher risk of suffering more frequent, severe and prolonged episodes of diarrhea, and repeated episodes of diarrhea also place children at greater risk of worsening their nutritional status.

The seven-point plan to save the lives of children who are stricken by diarrhea includes two treatments and five preventions:

treatments:

fluid replacement to prevent dehydration

zinc treatments, which decrease the severity and duration of the attack

prevention:

immunization against rotavirus and measles

early and exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin A supplements

handwashing with soap

improved water supply quantity and quality

promoting community-wide sanitation