Diarrhoeal Morbidity Among Young Children in Eritrea: Environmental and Socioeconomic Determinants (Survey‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Diarrhoeal diseases are still one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, especially in African countries. Diarrhoea, characterized by an increase in the number of watery evacuations relative to the usual pattern of each individual, has been a major contributor to illness and death, particularly among children, in sub-Saharan Africa (1,2). According to the WHO report, diarrhoeal diseases are still the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children aged less than five years in the African region (3). The report indicates that each child in the region has five episodes of diarrhoea per year and that 800,000 children die each year from diarrhoea and dehydration.