Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Sep 20;103(38):e39578. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000039578.
ABSTRACT
Diarrhea is the second major source of ill health and pediatric death globally. It accounts for over 90% of loss of life in infants especially those below 5 years old in developing nations. Lack of quality water and good sanitation is the principal root of diarrhea. Poor nutritional status also increases the incidence of diarrhea. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 3 targets to put a stop to avoidable deaths among newborns and infants under 5 years old by the year 2030. Interestingly, SDG number 6 targets to ensure all-round and fair access to safe quality portable water, good sanitation, and proper hygiene for everyone by the year 2030. Unfortunately, South Asia and sub-Saharan African regions are centers of limited improved water and good sanitation facilities, thus explaining the increased morbidity and loss of life orchestrated by diarrhea in young children in these areas. Therefore, enhancing water quality, good sanitation, and proper hygiene is a pivotal interposition strategy to improve children’s health and well-being and achieve SDG 3, especially in the fight against diarrhea. Due to the interrelated relationship between the SDGs, improving water quality, sanitation, and hygiene (SDG 6) appears to be the foundation for achieving other goals such as reducing malnutrition (SDG 2), eradicating poverty in children (SDG 1), building good working conditions (SDG 8), protecting the environment and climatic variations (SDG 13).
PMID:39312342 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000039578
