Chijioke Iremeka Deaths from diarrhoea, physicians say have been on the increase and insist that nobody, especially children should not succumb to the preventable tragedy. They said despite being highly preventable and treatable, the illness persists as the third leading cause of mortality among children under five years old, claiming over 443,832 lives annually. In the relentless battle to safeguard the well-being of our children, the physicians underscored the indispensable role of good hygiene practices as a fundamental defence against this pervasive killer.
Diarrhoea, characterised by frequent watery stools, dehydration, and sometimes vomiting, is often triggered by contaminated food or water, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene practices, experts said. According to the World Health Organisation, diarrhoea is the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day, or more frequently than is normal for an individual. The WHO said diarrhoea is the third leading cause of death in children one to 59 months of age, and which are both preventable and treatable.
The world health body stated that each year, diarrhoea kills around 443, 832 children under five and an additional 50, 851 children aged five to nine years, noting that a significant proportion of the disease can be prevented through safe drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene. Globally, it noted that there are nearly 1.7 billion cases of childhood diarrhoeal disease every year and that diarrhoea is .
