Diarrhea-Related Mortality in Latin American and Caribbean Countries from 2000 through 2019

Diarrhea remains a major cause of preventable mortality in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries, particularly among children and vulnerable populations. However, there are no studies showing the changes that have occurred in recent years in developing countries. Our objective was to determine the evolution of diarrhea mortality rates in LAC countries between 2000 and 2019.

An ecological observational time series study was conducted using only countries with complete population-based data in the World Health Organization mortality database between 2000 and 2019 with diarrhea mortality. Analyses were performed using Joinpoint Regression software to calculate mortality trends and annual percentage change by sex and by country. A mortality rates analysis of the last 5 years of the study period was performed to assess the countries with the highest rates.

Between 2000 and 2019, most Latin American and Caribbean countries experienced a significant decline in diarrhea-related mortality across all age groups and sexes. The largest reductions were observed in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. In children aged 0-14 years, thirteen countries showed significant decreases, notably Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia. Moreover, in the most recent five-year period (2015-2019), the highest age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were observed in Guatemala (11.14 per 100,000 in males; 5.97 in females) and Guyana (5.82 in males; 4.30 in females), while the lowest ASMRs were recorded in Chile (0.29 in males; 0.28 in females) and Argentina (0.36 in males; 0.33 in females).

In the two decades from 2000 to 2019, diarrhea-related mortality rates declined in Latin American and Caribbean countries, largely due to public health interventions and policies.