Diarrheal diseases research: priority areas.

Abstract

Diarrheal disease is perhaps one of the most important causes of sickness and death among infants and children in developing countries like India. Appreciable amount of research is being conducted in various to Centres/Institutions all over the country to find solutions to unresolved issues in control of diarrheal diseases. There is considerable expertise in basic diarrheal disease research, as well as in operational research in the country, unfortunately this is not been focussed according to a plan of priority. To draw up such a priority action plan, the Indian Council of Medical Research, convened a meeting of Research Advisory group on diarrheal diseases. The group included epidemiologists, programme managers, clinicimls, microbiologists, molecular biologists and public health specialists. Tile group emphasized that diarrheal disease control and research on diarrheal diseases need to be integrated and co-ordinated with total primary health care approach. The research activity should be able to produce quick applicable results and should focus on application of available knowledge. Applied research which should generate new knowledge with immediate operational capability should be combined with specifically di-