U.N. Agencies Aim to Reduce Diarrhea Death TollEach year, diarrhea kills 1.5 million children under the age of 5, even though there are inexpensive and effective treatments available for this common health problem, say UN agencies.
Only about 39 percent of children with diarrhea in developing countries receive the recommended treatment, said Ann Veneman, executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Agence France-Presse reported.
Contaminated water and infections are the main causes of diarrhea, which accounts for close to 18 percent of all deaths among children under 5, according to Olivier Fontaine, the World Health Organization's children's health expert.
The two agencies have launched a new campaign to reduce diarrhea's death toll. The seven-point plan to prevent and treat diarrhea includes promotion of hand washing with soap, promotion of early breastfeeding, replacing body fluids to prevent dehydration, and zinc treatment, AFP reported.
Simply washing hands with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrhea by more than 40 percent, according to UNICEF.
What Is Diarrhea?
Doctors usually define diarrhea as a significant increase in the total weight of stool passed in a single day. Most people, however, think of diarrhea as an illness during which they have more frequent, loose, watery stools.
What Causes Diarrhea?
Many different things can cause diarrhea. Here are the major causes:
Infections
You are most likely to come down with diarrhea after coming into contact with these infectious organisms and agents:
- A virus, such as rotavirus, Norwalk agent, enterovirus, or a hepatitis virus
- A bacterium, such as E. coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Clostridum, Vibrio cholerae
- A parasite, such as those that cause giardiasis and amebiasis
The most common cause of diarrhea is a mild viral infection that resolves on its own within a few days, usually known as the "stomach flu". Two other common causes of diarrhea is from food poisoning and traveler's diarrhea. They occur from eating food or drinking water contaminated with organisms like bacteria and parasites.
OUR ANTI-DIARRHEA TABLET
In this matter, Aseprofar has develop a Digestive Line of products in wich there is a work of our professionals to elaborate a medicine that can reduce diarrhea.
We have developed numerous medications throughout our years in the market, among them antidiarrheal medicines. The drug used to treat diarrhea is the Loperamide hydrochloride. This drug slows the movement of the muscles in the small intestine to allow more water to be taken out of the feces (waste matter) and more nutrients to be absorbed.
When diarrhea is present, recommended over the counter irritable bowel syndrome remedies may include an anti-diarrhea product. In Aseprofar we have develop a fast acting anti-diarrhea tablet based on Loperamide hydrochloride.
