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At any one time more than half the hospital beds in the developing world are occupied by patients suffering from diarrhoea.
Nearly two million people die from diarrhoea each year in developing countries, with children and other vulnerable people most at risk.
Contaminated water, poor human hygiene and food prepared in unhygienic conditions are the main ways it is spread. There are huge challenges; worldwide 1.1 billion people don’t have access to clean water. 2.4 billion people have no toilets or any way of safely disposing of human and household waste. Climate change also looks set to bring more frequent and hard-hitting floods and droughts, which could help spread diarrhoeal diseases.
Health Poverty Action says:
- Governments of developing and wealthy donor countries must increase spending on water and sanitation measures to provide access to clean water and good sanitation for disposing of human waste.
- Health education is important to encourage good hygiene, to raise awareness of the dangers of diarrhoea and how to treat it and to promote exclusive breastfeeding – where an infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or water.
- Nutritional supplements to boost vitamin A and promote the intake of zinc can help prevent diarrhoea. There needs to be affordable access to these supplements.
What is Health Poverty Action doing to help?
- In Laos, we are working in 30 villages to build clean water supplies and better latrines and health education on preventing and managing disease.
- In the Wa region of Burma Health Unlimited gives health education on disease prevention, better hygiene and sanitation.
