Progress
More than one third (38 per cent) of children with diarrhoeal diseases in the developing world (excluding China) receive the recommended treatment – oral rehydration therapy (oral rehydration salts or recommended homemade fluids or increased fluids), along with continued feeding. The highest levels of treatment are found in East Asia and the Pacific (excluding China) at 61 per cent, while the lowest treatment levels occur in sub-Saharan Africa, with only 31 per cent of children under five with diarrhoea receiving the recommended treatment.
More than one third of children with diarrhoeal diseases in the developing world receive the recommended treatment
Percentage of children under five with diarrhoea who receive oral rehydration or increased fluids with continued feeding, by region (2000–2007)
* - Excludes China
While trend data are limited, data from 26 sub-Saharan African countries with comparable data available for around 2000 and 2006, covering nearly half of the African under-five population, indicate that there has been little progress in increasing coverage with the recommended treatment in this region - increasing only from 32 per cent in 2000 to 38 per cent in 2008.
In fact, there has been little progress in expanding case management for major childhood illnesses across sub-Saharan Africa, where the burden of these diseases is greatest. The lack of any significant progress in the case management of pneumonia, diarrheal diseases and malaria underlines the urgent need to strengthen the integrated community-based treatment of childhood diseases within the overall health system.
Little progress in expanding case management for major childhood illnesses across sub-Saharan Africa since 2000
Source: UNICEF global databases, 2008
Poorest children are least likely to receive the recommended treatment
Boys and girls are equally likely to receive the recommended treatment for diarrhoeal diseases. However, children under five with diarrhoeal diseases living in the richest households are 1.5 times more likely to receive the recommended treatment than those living in the poorest households. Similarly, 43 per cent of urban children receive the recommended treatment, compared to only 34 per cent of rural children.
This analysis is based on 83 developing countries, covering 77 per cent (gender) and 75 per cent (wealth) of the under-five population in the developing world (excluding China), respectively. The analysis by residence includes 83 developing countries, covering 65 per cent of the urban under-five population and 84 per cent of the rural under-five population in the developing world (excluding China).