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Diarrhoeal problems in Southeast Asia
Insights
Diarrhoea remains a significant health issue in Southeast Asia, especially affecting young children. Rotavirus and Enterotoxigenic E. coli are common causes, exacerbated by malnutrition and poor sanitation.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Diarrhoea poses a major public health challenge in Southeast Asia, characterized by high rates of illness and death.
- Children under five years old, particularly those aged 6-24 months, are most vulnerable to severe diarrhoeal episodes.
- The abstract presents epidemiological data on diarrhoea morbidity and mortality from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the persistent burden of diarrhoea in Southeast Asia.
- To identify common enteropathogens responsible for diarrhoeal diseases.
- To underscore contributing factors such as malnutrition and inadequate sanitation.
Main Methods:
- The study synthesizes existing epidemiological data on diarrhoea prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates across several Southeast Asian countries.
- It identifies common enteropathogens based on available literature and surveillance data.
- Risk factors associated with increased diarrhoeal disease burden are discussed.
Main Results:
- Diarrhoea causes significant morbidity and mortality, especially in children under five, across the region.
- Rotavirus and Enterotoxigenic E. coli are identified as the most prevalent enteropathogens.
- Malnutrition, reduced breastfeeding, socio-economic factors, and poor sanitation are key contributors to the high disease burden.
Conclusions:
- Diarrhoea continues to be a critical health concern in Southeast Asia, demanding sustained public health interventions.
- Effective control strategies must address common pathogens and underlying factors like malnutrition and sanitation.
- Targeted interventions for young children are crucial to reduce the impact of diarrhoeal diseases.
Abstract:
Diarrhoea up till now is still a major problem in Southeast Asia with high morbidity and mortality, particularly among children under 5 years of age, with the peak in children between 6 - 24 months. In Indonesia, in 1981, it was estimated that there are 60 million episodes with 300,000 - 500,000 deaths. In the Philippines, diarrhoea ranks as a second cause of morbidity (600 per 100,000 in 1974) and second cause of infant mortality (5 per 1,000 in 1974). In Thailand, in 1980, the morbidity rate was 524 per 100,000 and the mortality rate 14 per 100,000. In Malaysia, in 1976, diarrhoea was still ranking number 5 (3.1%) as a cause of total admission and number 9 (2.2%) as a cause of total deaths. In Singapore, diarrhoea still ranks number 3 as a cause of deaths (4% of total deaths). In Bangladesh, the overall attack rates imply a prevalence of 2.0% for the entire population, with the highest for under 5 groups i.e. 4.1%. The diarrhoea episode in rural population is 85.4%, 39% of them are children under 5. The most common enteropathogens found in all countries are rotavirus followed by Enterotoxigenic E. coli, Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Campylobacter. Malnutrition and decline of giving breast-feeding play an important role in causing high morbidity, besides socio-economic, socio-cultural and poor environmental sanitation.