UNICEF: Diarrhoea is the second leading killer of children

NEW YORK, USA, 14 October 2009 A new report released by UNICEF and the World Health Organization today lays out a seven-point plan to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea worldwide. Diarrhoea is the second leading killer of children. Nearly one in five children under the age of five dies as a result of dehydration, weakened immunity or malnutrition associated with diarrhoea. But it is a preventable and easily treatable disease. It is a tragedy that diarrhoea, which is little more than an inconvenience in the developed world, kills an estimated 1.5 million children each year, said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. We know where children are dying of diarrhoea, said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. We know what must be done to prevent those deaths. We must work with governments and partners to put this seven-point plan into action." To read more about the plan, visit http://www.unicef.org/health/index_51412.html