However, the report adds that deaths from diarrheal diseases, of children under age 5, is dropping at a faster rate in India than rest of the world.
India suffers one fifth of the world’s child diarrheal death, according to a report released by the United Nations, on Tuesday. In addition, the world’s highest number of deaths due to diarrhea among children below five years is recorded in 2013.
“Diarrheal diseases disproportionately affect young children,” lead author Dr. Ali Mokdad, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, USA, said. “Despite some promising reductions in mortality, the devastating impact of these diseases cannot be overlooked. Immediate and sustained actions must be taken to help low-income countries address this problem by increasing healthcare access and the use of oral rehydration solutions.”
Globally, mortality from diarrheal disease is dropping faster in India; while deaths from diarrhea in children under the age of 5 declined by 34.3 percent globally between 2005 and 2015, in India the rate of reduction was an even faster 43.2 percent. The number of under-five deaths in India declined from 3.33 million in 1990 to 1.34 million in 2013. The number of under-five deaths worldwide has declined from 12.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million in 2013.
However, India’s relative success was not enough to move its tag as the country suffering from the most child diarrheal deaths. The report, Levels and Trends in Child Mortality 2014, found that India registered 1.34 million under-five deaths in 2013, the highest in the world.
About half of the all under-five deaths occur in only five countries – India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo and China. Among them, India and Nigeria are victims to 42 percent of child deaths on account of diarrheal disease. Countries like Bangladesh (60.4 percent) and China (71 percent) did much more to reduce child mortality from diarrhea, according to a new Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.
Globally, diarrhea is the fourth biggest killer of children under the age of five, while India is its third biggest victim. Primarily, diarrheal diseases are caused as a result of poor access to clean water and sanitation, while, malnutrition is another the underlying contributing factor in about 45 percent of all child deaths, making children more vulnerable to severe diseases.
Though the rotavirus is the leading factor behind the diarrheal disease, the only cause that has registered a decrease in the last ten years; it is noted that diarrhea from other parasites is also on the rise. Reports suggest the development of more vaccines against the other parasites that cause diarrhea. Though India administers a rotavirus vaccine as part of its immunization program, it is not yet available in all states.
“More thorough understanding of each cause of diarrhea and how this varies geographically will help target interventions to reduce death and disability from these preventable diseases. A greater focus on vaccine development and more intentional improvements in safe water, sanitation, and hygiene will help accelerate reductions in deaths and sickness,” Mokdad said.
More than half of these early child deaths are due to conditions that could be prevented or treated with access to simple, affordable interventions. The report also found that in 2013, the children under five died from mostly preventable causes. Though India is moving towards improving its conditions, reports suggest, India must pay serious attention to check its immature deaths, acknowledging the progress made by the world’s second most populous nation.