For children in poor communities, diarrhea remains a major cause of death and can lead to long-term consequences.


The Solutions
Simple and proven tools can prevent and treat diarrhea, and integrating them achieves the greatest impact.


The Report
Read our State of the Field Report to discover how we can stop the cycle of diarrheal disease.
ADVOCACY TOOLS
We bring diverse sectors together to break the poo taboo.

Vaccines blaze a trail for child health
2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), a system that works to ensure successful supply and delivery of critical vaccines to each child.

Child health in Kenya: opportunities and actions
Kenya’s unified policy for child health is a commitment to families and communities.

Feb 13, 2025
#EndCholeraNigeria: A Journey of Multisectoral and Political Commitment
Honourable Ministers (Health, Water Resources, and Environment) represented by their respective Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Departments and agencies, and Country Representatives of Development Partners WHO, IFRC, UNICEF, UKHSA, WaterAid, MSF,...

Jan 31, 2025
Four more films that put the “act” in Action!
Back in 2015, DefeatDD published our first-ever movie review highlighting five films that imparted valuable lessons about diarrheal disease (DD). Ten years later and with Academy Awards season in full swing, we thought it the perfect time for a follo...
DefeatDD welcomes new team member: Tara Petronio
DefeatDD is kicking off 2025 with a new addition to our team. Please help us give a warm welcome to our new Communications Associate, Tara Petronio! [Holding for virtual applause.] You may have already met her indirectly: she’s jumped right in as t...

Jan 08, 2025
How much is norovirus to blame for the global burden of childhood diarrhea?
Preventing norovirus could make a significant health and economic impact, not to mention a more pleasant holiday season.

Dec 18, 2024
Time to evolve our thinking about breastfeeding
If we’re serious about boosting rates of breastfeeding, we’ll stop putting women in all-but-impossible positions.

Dec 04, 2024
The health and economic benefits of investing in new vaccines for diarrheal diseases
We estimate the potential economic impact of vaccines using a metric called societal net monetary benefits.

Nov 15, 2024
We can defeat diarrhea outbreaks if we prepare for them
We get it. Things feel heavy right now. Heartbreaking conflict. Record-breaking heat. Economic hardship. In enduring these things, children suffer the most: according to UNICEF, diarrhea kills more children in conflict settings than violence. Climate...

Oct 15, 2024
Why do we wash our hands with soap and water?
” After seeing the germs, handwashing has become fun for me. ” – Irina Naher Raduga, 9, Bangladesh. Photo: PATH/Maksudur Rahman My wife and I always remind our daughter to wash her hands throughout the day, especially after playing with...

Oct 09, 2024
What can neighbor countries do to prevent diarrheal diseases caused by floods?
As there is no such thing as national borders in nature, countries must look beyond these jurisdictions to prepare for flooding and manage the risk of diarrheal diseases.

Sep 24, 2024
Drug resistant diarrheal disease: a journey
Drug resistance is a major global health challenge, and it continues to worsen. A problem with many causes, rising drug resistance has placed an increasing burden on global health and children are among those shouldering the consequences. How th...

Sep 18, 2024
Drug resistance: what is it and what can we do
School pupils Ashley and Liz stop on their way from school to drink and wash their faces with water from an aquifer that serves the domestic water needs for several homesteads at a rural village in Kenya. Sources for clean drinking water are essentia...

Sep 04, 2024
What does nutrition have to do with diarrhea?
We all know that the food we eat impacts our health: good, nutritious foods mean a strong and healthy body. But there is more to it – nutrition plays a vital role in child health and impacts the risk of diarrheal disease. Diarrhea is one ...

Aug 27, 2024
Preventing the cycle of monsoon floods and cholera through vaccines and safe water
The summer monsoon season in Asia, known for heavy rainfall that often leads to flooding, has reached new heights in countries like India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. These floods contribute to the outbreak of diarrheal diseases. ...

Aug 07, 2024
Unintended consequences: When hygiene programs burden women
Primary care in a Kaqchikel Maya community in rural Guatemala, checking monthly growth of infants.

Jul 24, 2024
Five and Thrive!
The DefeatDD team celebrated a global health success story – more children than ever are reaching their fifth birthday!

Diarrhea kills half a million children each year. Awareness is the first step to action.

Where health care is hard to reach, vaccines are the best protection against severe diarrhea.

Access to ORS and zinc could prevent more than half of diarrhea deaths.
