How to Prevent, Treat, and Manage Diarrheal Diseases?

Diarrhea describes loose, watery stools that occur more frequently than usual. Diarrhea is something everyone experiences. Key measures to prevent diarrhoea include: Access to safe drinking-water; Use of improved sanitation; Handwashing with soap; For babies exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life; Good personal and food hygiene; Health education about how infections spread; and Rotavirus vaccination. Key measures to treat diarrhoea include the following: Rehydration: with oral rehydration salts (ORS) solution. ORS is a mixture of clean water, salt and sugar. It costs a few cents per treatment. ORS is absorbed in the small intestine and replaces the water and electrolytes lost in the faeces. Zinc supplements: zinc supplements reduce the duration of a diarrhoea episode by 25% and are associated with a 30% reduction in stool volume. Rehydration: with intravenous fluids in case of severe dehydration or shock. Nutrient-rich foods: the vicious circle of malnutrition and diarrhoea can be broken by continuing to give nutrient-rich foods – including breast milk – during an episode, and by giving a nutritious diet – including exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life – to children when they are well. Consulting a health professional , in particular for management of persistent diarrhoea or when there is blood in stool or if there are signs of dehydration.