Does hilly ecology prevent childhood diarrhoea?

Incidence of reported diarrhoeal diseases in hilly children are not precisely known. The pattern of diarrhoeal diseases in the hilly areas of Abha and Khamis Moshayet mountainous regions of Saudi Arabia has been studied. These areas are situated at 2,000 to 3,200 meters above the sea level and are devoid of river, canal or lake. The temperature ranges from 5 degrees C to 30 degrees C and humidity 30% to 60% usually. Diarrhoeal patients treated in the six health centres were recorded and analyzed for the years 1987-88 and 1989-90. Dysentery affected 2.37% of the children giving 0.023 episodes per head per year. It was almost uniformly distributed in all age groups but was higher in males 10 years and over than in females. Diarrhoea affected 8.00% of the whole population and 27.44% children giving 0.27 episodes per child per year. In all age groups, incidences in male were higher than in female. Incidences of both were higher during July to October and lower during March to April. The rate was highest in Umme Sarrar PHC area. Overall, 10.35% of the whole population and 30% of the children contracted diarrhoeal diseases. The episode of reported cases per child (0.30) per year was one-seventh of the Saudi national door-to-door survey findings (2.07) and one-fourth of the US hospital reported diarrhoea cases. This extremely low incidence in the hilly children may be due to hilly ecology, under reporting, low rate in the country or a combination of all. Further studies are needed in hilly areas of Bangladesh.