What is it about?

Our study looked at the link between heat waves and diarrhoea hospitalisations in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between 1981 and 2010. While many studies have explored how temperature affects diarrhoea, there is limited research specifically on heat waves and their impact. We defined heat waves as periods of extremely high daily temperatures, lasting at least one day, based on specific temperature thresholds. Using advanced statistical analysis, we found that hospitalisations for diarrhoea increased during heat waves, especially among children under 5 years old. For all age groups, diarrhoea cases increased by about 6.7% to 8.3% during heat waves. The effect was even stronger in young children, with increases of 13.9% to 24.2%. Our study concludes that heat waves are a significant risk factor for diarrhoea in Dhaka, particularly for young children.

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Why is it important?

This study reveals an association between diarrhoea and heat wave, a climate hazard. The findings highlight the need for further research to understand the causes and to develop preventive measures, such as defining heat waves specifically for Dhaka and creating public health interventions to reduce the health impacts of heat waves, including diarrhoea outbreaks.

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This page is a summary of: Is heat wave a predictor of diarrhoea in Dhaka, Bangladesh? A time-series analysis in a South Asian tropical monsoon climate, PLOS Global Public Health, September 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003629.
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