Challenges faced while counter striking diarrhea
One of the most common diseases that still continue to run havoc through children in major parts of the globe is diarrhea.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), any diarheal disease kills more than 1.7 billion children under the age of 5 every year globally.
The worst-hit areas are developing and under-developed countries of Africa and Asia.
Starting with an infection in the child’s intestinal tract, this disease is caused by parasitic, bacterial and viral organisms. Some of the common clinical types of diarrhea are as follows:
- Persistent diarrhea: This type of diarrhea lasts more than 14 days, which weakens the child’s physical and mental health.
- Acute watery diarrhea: This type actually includes the various symptoms of cholera and last for several long hours and days.
- Acute bloody diarrhea: Generally called dysentery, this type can cause excessive loss of water and sodium from the child’s body.
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Challenges faced when counter-attacking diarrhea
There are many challenges faced in counter striking attacks of this disease. Some of these challenges are as follows:
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Accessibility of funds
The lack of funds in some parts of Asia and Africa has been one of the biggest causes of diarrheal deaths. Either, the funds do not reach on time or they do not reach at all.
Bureaucratic red-tapism in these regions hinders the availability of funds in health-oriented programs. This actually puts a full stop on many diarrhea eradication programs prematurely.
Although WHO has initiated numerous health programs to counter-attack many diarrheal diseases, but the frequency of these programs has been low. Some of these health programs are still buried under the burden of bureaucratic paperwork.
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Awareness
Being aware of danger is one of the best ways to counter striking its effects. Therefore, you will need to be aware of the different symptoms and effects of various diarrheal diseases so that these can be eradicated completely.
However, as some of these countries are still under-developed, the frequency of awareness programs is very less. 90% of the population living in these regions is not aware of the symptoms or consequences of diarrhea.
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Climatic drawbacks
Being closer to the tropics, African and Asian countries have always faced the issue of storage when it comes to different diarrhea vaccines. Medical researchers have still not been able to guarantee vaccine thermostability, which has become a cause of concern for many doctors and health workers.
Excessive thermal exposure alters the structure of proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines that eventually makes them completely ineffective. Therefore, the storage of any diarrhea vaccine becomes impossible in some parts of these regions.
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Lack of clean environment
One of the biggest causes of diarrhea is the lack of cleanliness. Contaminated water and food are the biggest carriers of diarrhea virus and bacteria.
Unclean hands and unhygienic toilet manners can also cause diarrhea. Although WHO has conducted repeated cleanliness drives, people in certain parts of these regions still do not follow the basic hygiene procedures.
The causes of diarrhea can only be eliminated once people are aware of its symptoms and follow the rules of cleanliness, which will eventually help us to save our younger ones from an untimely death.
[…] Diarrhea can be prevented by simply adhering to proper sanitation and hygiene, hand washing before and after eating, rotavirus vaccination, as well as good knowledge over how one can prevent the infection. Coming to the treatment, diarrhoeal diseases are treated via ORS, which is Oral Rehydration Salts. […]