Child undernutrition, tropical enteropathy, toilets, and handwashing Humphrey, J. H. (2009)
Child underweight or stunting causes about 20% of all mortality of children younger than 5 years of age. Diarrhoea is an aggravating factor in malnutrition,as it reduces the body’s capacity to absorb nutrients. The provision of safe water and sanitation coupled with improvements in hygiene can hence contribute significantly to this nutritional challenge and to health improvements.Based on a Lancet Maternal and Child Undernutrition Series Jean H Humphrey explores the hypothesis that tropical enteropathy, caused by exposure to poor environmental sanitation, might be a key cause of child undernutrition.
Hence, the primary pathway from poor sanitation and hygiene to under nutrition would be tropical enteropathy and not diarrhoea.
Bibliographic information
Humphrey, J. H. (2009). Child undernutrition, tropical enteropathy, toilets, and handwashing The Lancet, Volume 374, Issue 9694, pages 1032 - 1035
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