Acute respiratory infections, malaria, pre-term birth complications, and birth asphyxia remain the major leading causes of death for children under the age of 5. However, a recent study showed that the 'leading killer' causing most of the deaths among children and the elderly remains to be diarrhoea and related infections.
The study points out that mortality is high in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, even though deaths from these conditions have come down globally by 60 per cent between 1990 to 2021.
According to WHO, there are approximately 6,300 newborn deaths every day, amounting to nearly 47 per cent of all child deaths under the age of 5 years.
The study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal found that in 2021, diarrheal diseases -- infections that cause diarrhea -- were responsible for 12 lakh deaths worldwide, a significant decrease from 29 lakh deaths in 1990.
The latest estimates are from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, US.
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The efforts against the spread of the infection, including oral rehydration therapy, improved sanitation and global immunisation efforts against rotavirus, a common cause of diarrheal infections, are proving effective.
Researchers also found that the largest decline in deaths occurred among children under five, although mortality rates remain highest in this age group.
In terms of death rates, those aged 70 years or older were the second most affected age group, making diarrhoea and related infections a leading cause of death across all age groups.
In sub-Saharan Africa, regionally, children under the age of five had the highest mortality rates, with over 150 deaths per 1,00,000 population. While in South Asia, the highest mortality rates were found among those aged 70 and older, with 476 deaths per 100,000 population.
"The new granular-level analysis in our study can help decision-makers better target and prioritise evidence-based strategies to fight diarrheal diseases," said Dr. Hmwe Hmwe Kyu, a study author and associate professor at IHME.
"Despite the encouraging progress made in combating diarrheal mortality, a multipronged approach is needed to simultaneously implement life-saving solutions while also prioritising preventive interventions to alleviate the burden on health systems," Dr Kyu added.