Department of Research Publication, Kampala International University, Kampala, Uganda.
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Kampala International University, Kampala, Uganda.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2024 Sep 20;103(38):e39578. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000039578.
Diarrhea is the second major source of ill health and pediatric death globally. It accounts for over 90% of loss of life in infants especially those below 5 years old in developing nations. Lack of quality water and good sanitation is the principal root of diarrhea. Poor nutritional status also increases the incidence of diarrhea. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 3 targets to put a stop to avoidable deaths among newborns and infants under 5 years old by the year 2030. Interestingly, SDG number 6 targets to ensure all-round and fair access to safe quality portable water, good sanitation, and proper hygiene for everyone by the year 2030. Unfortunately, South Asia and sub-Saharan African regions are centers of limited improved water and good sanitation facilities, thus explaining the increased morbidity and loss of life orchestrated by diarrhea in young children in these areas. Therefore, enhancing water quality, good sanitation, and proper hygiene is a pivotal interposition strategy to improve children's health and well-being and achieve SDG 3, especially in the fight against diarrhea. Due to the interrelated relationship between the SDGs, improving water quality, sanitation, and hygiene (SDG 6) appears to be the foundation for achieving other goals such as reducing malnutrition (SDG 2), eradicating poverty in children (SDG 1), building good working conditions (SDG 8), protecting the environment and climatic variations (SDG 13).
腹泻是全球范围内导致健康不良和儿童死亡的第二大主要原因。在发展中国家,腹泻导致 90%以上的 5 岁以下婴幼儿死亡。缺乏优质水源和良好的卫生条件是腹泻的主要根源。营养不良状况也会增加腹泻的发病率。联合国可持续发展目标 (SDG) 第 3 项旨在到 2030 年,避免新生儿和 5 岁以下儿童的可避免死亡。有趣的是,SDG 第 6 项的目标是到 2030 年,确保所有人都能全面、公平地获得安全、有质量的便携水、良好的卫生设施和适当的个人卫生。不幸的是,南亚和撒哈拉以南非洲地区是改善供水和卫生设施有限的中心,这解释了这些地区幼儿腹泻发病率和死亡率增加的原因。因此,提高水质、改善卫生和个人卫生是改善儿童健康和福祉、实现 SDG 第 3 项目标的关键干预战略,特别是在防治腹泻方面。由于可持续发展目标之间存在相互关系,提高水质、卫生和个人卫生(SDG 第 6 项)似乎是实现其他目标的基础,如减少营养不良(SDG 第 2 项)、消除儿童贫困(SDG 第 1 项)、建立良好的工作条件(SDG 第 8 项)、保护环境和应对气候变化(SDG 第 13 项)。