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Diarrhoea

 
Timing Births
Safe Motherhood
Child Development and Early Learning
Breastfeeding
Nutrition and Growth
Immunization
Diarrhoea
Coughs, Colds and More Illnesses
Hygiene
Malaria
HIV/AIDS
Injury Prevention
Disasters and Emergencies
Summary

Why it is important to share and act on information about DIARRHOEA

Diarrhoea kills over 1 million children every year through dehydration and malnutrition. Children are more likely than adults to die from diarrhoea because they become dehydrated  more quickly. About 1 in every 200 children who contract  diarrhoea will die from it.

Diarrhoea is caused by germs that are swallowed, especially  germs from faeces. This happens most often where there is unsafe disposal of faeces, poor hygiene practices or a lack of clean drinking water, or when infants are not breastfed. Infants who are fed only breastmilk seldom get diarrhoea.

If families and communities work together, with support from governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), they can do much to prevent the conditions that cause diarrhoea.

Key Messages:

What every family and community has a right to know about DIARRHOEA

1. Diarrhoea kills children by draining liquid from the body,thus dehydrating the child. As soon as diarrhoea starts, it is essential that the child be given extra fluids as well as regular foods and fluids.

2. A child's life is in danger if there are several watery  stools within an hour or if there is blood in the faeces. Immediate help from a trained health worker is needed.

3. Breastfeeding can reduce the severity and frequency of diarrhoea.

4. A child with diarrhoea needs to continue eating regularly. While recovering from diarrhoea, the child needs at least an extra meal every day for at least two weeks.

5. If the child is dehydrated with severe or persistent diarrhoea, only oral rehydration solution or medicines recommended by a trained health worker should be used. Other diarrhoea medicines are generally ineffective and could be harmful to the child.

6. To prevent diarrhoea, all faeces should be disposed of in  a latrine or toilet or buried.

7. Good hygiene practices protect against diarrhoea. Hands  should be thoroughly washed with soap and water or ash and water after contact with faeces, and before touching food or
feeding children.


Supporting information for key messages: 1   2   3   4   5   6  7
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