ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews acute infectious diarrhea occurring in children under 5 years of age. Several community-based studies on the occurrence of Acute Childhood Diarrhea (ACD) in Ethiopia have been conducted. Current estimates of the period prevalence of ACD range from 10 to 40%. Recurring episodes of ACD are a major contributor to malnutrition and growth retardation, which in turn increase a child’s susceptibility to additional morbidity and to mortality. This has a direct bearing on the occurrence of several life-threatening childhood diseases, including measles, tuberculosis, and other lower respiratory tract infections. The most consistently reported child characteristic associated with the occurrence of ACD is age. The older the child, the less frequent the occurrence of ACD and the less likely that death will result. How likely a child is to acquire ACD and subsequently to die from its complications is influenced by the general health status of the child.
