Child deaths from diarrhoea halved in 10 yrs, but 321 died every day in '15

The proportion of children with diarrhoea who received rehydration therapy from ORS packets increased from 26% in 2005-06 to 51% in 2015-16

In a decade to 2015, India’s efforts to tackle diarrhoea–a disease easily preventable through sanitation, safe drinking water and hygiene–have led to a 52% fall in deaths of children below the age of four, but the prevalence of diarrhoea, at 9.2%, has remained high, according to national health data.

The decline in deaths was driven by improved treatment cover even as fewer affected children were given increased diet and fluids–vital to fight diarrhoea–data from the National Family Health Survey 2015-16 (NFHS-4), show.

Despite the improvement in mortality, diarrhoea remained among the leading causes of death