Basic Hygiene Can Beat Diarrhoea - A Lesson From the Slums of Dhaka

Diarrhoea is a common water-borne disease amongst slum children in Bangladesh and is one of the five leading causes of infant illness and death in the country. Now, a new SANDEE study has looked at the causes and impacts of this disease in the slums of Dhaka. The study finds that overcrowding and poor basic amenities, coupled with a lack of attention to basic personal hygiene, results in a high risk of infection. Fifty percent of children in the study sample suffered from diarrhoea during a two-week period prior to the survey. [SANDEE Policy Brief No. 40-09] URL: [http://www.sandeeonline.org/uploads/documents/publication/872_PUB_Policy_Brief_40.pdf]