Tackling diarrhoea in India’s children - Identifying variation in soap availability and use in Indian schools

(From introduction) Diarrhoea remains one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality in India. Over 450,000 children (0-6 years: ~158,000; 6+ years: ~296,000) were estimated to have died from diarrhoea in India in 2001. The morbidity and mortality associated with diarrhoeal disease is tightly linked with it causing and exacerbating malnutrition; which is particularly problematic in India where over 30% of children are undernourished. Further to this, diarrhoeal disease is also associated with decreased cognitive function in children, thus having serious implications for a child’s future development... (continued in paper)