Strategies and causes of reduced infant and young child diarrheal disease mortality in Cuba, 1962-1993. 1995

R L Riverón Corteguera
Department of Pediatrics, Gral. Calixto García Faculty, Superior Institute of Medical Sciences, Havana, Cuba.

This article describes the basic strategies employed by Cuba's Diarrheal Disease Control Program (DDCP) to reduce acute diarrheal disease (ADD) mortality among infants and young children from 1962 through 1993, together with the diarrheal disease trends recorded in these years. An initial control effort, the Program to Combat Gastroenteritis, began operating in 1963. Since then, in one form or another, increasingly effective efforts have consistently lessened ADD mortality. Among other things, these efforts have concentrated on providing improved sanitation, effective health education, proper nutrition (including promotion of breast-feeding and food hygiene), and adequate health care (which in recent times has placed increasing emphasis on oral rehydration therapy and primary care). Largely as a result, recorded infant ADD mortality fell from 12.9 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1962 to 0.3 in 1993, while recorded mortality from this cause among children 1-4 years old dropped from 6.4 deaths per 10,000 children in this age group in 1962 to 0.1 in 1993. Besides describing the work performed through 1993, the author also outlines plans for the period through 1999 that are directed at maintaining and perhaps augmenting these gains.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D009313 National Health Programs Components of a national health care system which administer specific services, e.g., national health insurance. National Health Insurance, Non-U.S.,Health Services, National,National Health Insurance,National Health Insurance, Non U.S.,National Health Services,Services, National Health,Health Insurance, National,Health Program, National,Health Programs, National,Health Service, National,Insurance, National Health,National Health Program,National Health Service,Program, National Health,Programs, National Health,Service, National Health
D011502 Protein-Energy Malnutrition The lack of sufficient energy or protein to meet the body's metabolic demands, as a result of either an inadequate dietary intake of protein, intake of poor quality dietary protein, increased demands due to disease, or increased nutrient losses. Marasmus,Protein-Calorie Malnutrition,Malnutrition, Protein-Calorie,Malnutrition, Protein-Energy,Malnutritions, Protein-Energy,Protein Calorie Malnutrition,Protein Energy Malnutrition
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003462 Cuba An island in the Greater Antilles in the West Indies, south of Florida. With the adjacent islands it forms the Republic of Cuba. Its capital is Havana. It was discovered by Columbus on his first voyage in 1492 and conquered by Spain in 1511. It has a varied history under Spain, Great Britain, and the United States but has been independent since 1902. The name Cuba is said to be an Indian name of unknown origin but the language that gave the name is extinct, so the etymology is a conjecture. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p302 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p132)
D003968 Diarrhea, Infantile DIARRHEA occurring in infants from newborn to 24-months old. Infantile Diarrhea,Diarrheas, Infantile,Infantile Diarrheas
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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