Community-based prevention strategy for acute diarrheal diseases

Acute Diarrheal Diseases (ADD) represent one of the conditions produced mainly by the consumption of contaminated water, being the most affected population worldwide the children, with a higher prevalence in rural areas, where wastewater treatment is inadequate. Human waste is discharged into open latrines, canals and streams, or spread on farmland. These pathologies affect an estimated 1.5 million children annually and are the second leading cause of death in children under five years of age, with an estimated 525 000 each year. There are many groundwater springs, which constitute an important source of water for human consumption and agricultural use, that are affected by contamination caused by nearby septic tanks containing organic waste, animal feces or by agrochemicals from agricultural activities that infiltrate through the soil and reach these water sources.