@entity5163 in Central African countries have often been identified as the 2nd leading cause of @entity204 after measles and the 2nd leading cause of morbidity after @entity311 . These diseases are responsible for @entity204 rates in @entity1 under 5 that range from 58/1000 in urban centers to 150 in rural areas, and they impose heavy costs on the health services for both pediatric beds and intravenous rehydration. @entity294 contributes to @entity3147 and to high fertility rates among parents who believe they must have many @entity1 to insure survival of a few. To study patterns of @entity5163 in the region, 10 sites with different characteristics were selected for survey. 9 surveys of locations with widely varying climatic, ecologic, demographic, and socioeconomic conditions have been completed, 3 in Cameroon, 1 in the Central African Republic, 2 in Congo, 1 in Gabon, and 2 in Chad. All but 1 of the surveys were conducted between October 1983 and March 1985. The methodology was based on the cluster sampling recommended by the World Health Organization, which has the advantages of relative speed, moderate cost, and low personnel requirements. The clusters were either a village in rural areas or a section of an urban area. Interviewers obtained information about the number of @entity1 under 5 in the household, the number who had @entity294 in the previous 15 days and the treatment given, the number dying in the 12 months preceding the survey and the cause of @entity204 , whether @entity294 was a factor, and the age of the @entity1 at the time of @entity204 . A total of 63,107 @entity1 under 5 belonging to 33,051 households were surveyed. 12,732 episodes of @entity294 in the preceding 15 days were reported. It was estimated that each @entity1 in the region had an average of 4.8 episodes of @entity294 per year. The rate of diarrheal morbidity varied significantly by climatic zone. A follow-up survey of diarrheal morbidity figures from sentinel health centers is underway to determine the significance of climatic and seasonal variations. Only 7.1% of the reported diarrheal episodes were treated by oral rehydration therapy. 50.7% received some other form of medical treatment, 27.4% received traditional treatment, and 14.7% were not treated. Oral rehydration was not used at all in 2 survey locations and use exceeded 13% in only 3 locations. @entity294 was a factor in 53% of reported @entity204 in @entity1 and small @entity1 . Deaths due to @entity294 without any associated cause were in 2nd place following measles. Mortality rates due to @entity294 varied from under 65/1000 in survey sites with tropical or equatorial climates to 119.31 and 263.9.1000 in sites with Sahelian climates. Rural diarrheal mortality rates were higher than urban rates except in N'djamena, Chad.

[ @entity1 and XXXX morbidity and mortality due to @entity5163 in central Africa].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['child', 'children', 'infants'] @entity294 :: ('MESH:D003967', 'Disease') :: ['diarrhea', 'Diarrhea'] @entity3147 :: ('MESH:D044342', 'Disease') :: ['malnutrition'] @entity311 :: ('MESH:D008288', 'Disease') :: ['malaria'] @entity204 :: ('MESH:D003643', 'Disease') :: ['deaths', 'death'] @entity5163 :: ('MESH:D004403', 'Disease') :: ['diarrheal disease', 'Diarrheal diseases']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['child']
