By: PRIYANKA PAUL
Diarrhea is one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries such as India. Several factors, including socio-demographic, socio-economic, and habitational factors, are associated with the prevalence of diarrhea. The study reveals that the eastern and western regions are hot spot zones for childhood diarrhea prevalence in India. Furthermore, the prevalence of diarrhea is high among children who use shared toilets, live in households with brick, stone, or polished wood flooring, have younger mothers (under 20 years of age), belong to households with a poor wealth index, or use “piped to neighbor” and “public tap/standpipe” sources for drinking water. Based on the study’s findings, the Government of India should conduct awareness programs on child health for mothers and children, especially in the most affected areas, and take necessary steps to ensure clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities in the hot spot zones of diarrhea in India.
