Diarrhoea
One in four deaths amongst under 5-year-olds are caused by diarrhoea.
Handwashing can stop 50% of diarrhoea cases, but communities need access to water nearby for this to occur.
Source: Solomon RWASH 2015 report
Malnutrition
Poor nutrition, repeated bouts of diarrhoea, living with poor sanitation, and lack of clean water leads to malnutrition.
One third of children in the Solomon Islands suffer chronic malnutrition, resulting in stunted growth, lower IQ, and weakened immune systems. They are then more susceptible to chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes, as an adult.
Bakua Tinnea
Bakua is a contagious fungal infection and can be socially stigmatising.
Treatment is expensive, difficult to access, and disease recurrence is high.
It affects 10-20% of children in the Solomon Islands.
Yaws
Yaws is highly contagious. It starts as a hard swelling or ulcer, and heals within 6 months, but can lead to disfiguring damage to bone and cartilage later in life.
Yaws affects 30% of children in the Solomon Islands.
85% of yaws cases worldwide are found in the Solomon Islands, PNG, and Ghana.