Understanding the Crisis

Diarrheal disease is the most common illness among children in the developing world and can lead to dehydration and death. Each year, 760,000 children under five years old die as a result of severe diarrhea.¹

But this crisis can be solved. Simple, available, and proven tools promise dramatic reductions in diarrhea illness and death. Established interventions like oral rehydration therapy, exclusive breastfeeding, improved drinking water, and hygiene have saved countless lives, and new tools like zinc and vaccines are adding to gains in the global fight against diarrhea.

So why is an easily preventable and treatable disease, one that is merely an inconvenience in wealthy countries, still a global crisis? Read on.