Reduction of Diarrheal Diseases in Under-Five Children in...

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) describes diarrheal disease as the second leading cause of mortality in children under five years old, accounting for around 760000 deaths of children every year (Lweendo, 2010). Diarrhea is usually transmitted through the faecal-oral route. From the public health perspectives, contact with human excreta due to improper faecal disposal, poor hygiene in terms of hand washing to mention a few are the most potential risk factors. It has been documented that diarrhea causes of malnutrition in children under- five years. Diarrheal disease causes loss of water and salt in the body and can lead to death. This disease is very dangerous for children under –five years Nigeria is one the countries†¦show more content†¦As it has been earlier pointed out, majority of people lives in slums. This situation poses a challenge of attaining Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Epidemiologically, diarrhea diseases are associated with poor hygiene in terms of hand washing (Lweendo, 2010). For example, the Cross-sectional study that was conducted among the Lagos community revealed that only 46% washed their hands before eating. In the same study it was revealed that 3.6% washed their hands after cleaning a defecated child and 0.3% after cleaning running nose (International Journal of Infection Control 2013). Poverty influences the state of hygiene and sanitation and vice versa (Lweendo, 2010). In Lagos alone, it is reported that children who lives in poorest socioeconomic strata have lower health indicators as compared to those from wealthiest. For example, mortality rate among children under-five from the urban settings is 85/1000 while mortality rate in rural settings where socioeconomic is low is 219/1000 live births (Senbanjo, Olayiwola et al. 2013). Overcrowding, unhygienic conditions, low income households and families are conditions that make children more vulnerable to disease many diseases such as diarrhea. The current public health interventions in Lagos There is growing evidence that diarrhea can be prevented through the approach that includes among other