ABSTRACT
Despite considerable advances in the understanding and management of diarrheal disorders in childhood, they are still responsible for a major burden of childhood deaths globally, with an estimated 2.5 million deaths.1 In an estimate of the global burden of diarrheal disorders in 1980 the World Health Organization (WHO) calculated that there were over 700 million episodes of diarrhea annually in children under 5 years of age in developing countries (excluding China), with approximately 4.6 million deaths.2 Reviews in the early 1990s suggested that diarrheal disorders still accounted for almost a third of all admissions to health facilities in developing countries,3 with an estimated incidence of diarrheal disorders at around 2.6 episodes/child per year. More recent reviews of studies published in the past 10 years indicate that, while global mortality may have reduced, the incidence remained unchanged at about 3.2 episodes/child year.4,5 These findings indicate the continuing need to focus on prevention and management of childhood diarrhea in developing countries.
