There are several reasons why a consolidation of recent advances in our understanding of the interaction of diarrhea and malnutrition is indi­ cated and timely. It is now widely recognized that diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children of poor countries. Due to recent advances in laboratory and field diagnostic techniques, many of the previously unrecognized etiologic agents responsible for diarrhea have been identified, thereby providing new scientific knowledge for rational control strategies. Increasingly these advances suggest that the morbidity burden of diarrhea may be of equal, if not greater, public health consequence than mortality. Diarrhea only rarely causes disease severe enough to require institutionalized medical care. The vast major­ ity of diseases are of mild or moderate severity, and because of high prev­ alence, diarrhea imposes an enormous morbidity burden and exerts a sig­ nificant negative impact on child growth and development. Moreover, the effects of successive episodes of diarrhea are likely to be cumulative. In contrast to several other childhood infections, the treatment of the diarrheal diseases is feasible because it uses simple, effective, and low­ cost medical technologies. Within the context of these developments, there has been a major resurgence of international interest in, and commitment to, the control of the diarrheal diseases. The World Health Organization recently has launched a global program for the control of diarrhea, and simulta­ neously, an independent international research center on diarrhea has been established in Bangladesh.

I-Overview.- 1 . Interactions of Diarrhea and Malnutrition: Mechanisms and Interventions.- II-Diarrhea Pathophysiology and Epidemiology.- 2 . Pathophysiology of the Enterotoxic and Viral Diarrheas.- 3 . The Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Invasive Bacterial Diarrheas with a Note on Biological Considerations in Control Strategies.- 4 . Epidemiological Aspects of Diarrhea Associated with Known Enteropathogens in Rural Bangladesh.- 5 . Epidemiology of Childhood Diarrhea in The Gambia.- 6 . Malnutrition and Susceptibility to Diarrhea, with Special Reference to the Antiinfective Properties of Breast Milk.- III-Mechanisms of Diarrhea and Malnutrition.- 7 . Food Intake During and After Recovery from Diarrhea in Children.- 8 . The Energy Cost of Diarrheal Diseases and Other Common Illnesses in Children.- 9 . Effects of Acute Diarrhea on Absorption of Macronutrient During Disease and After Recovery.- 10 . Direct Nutrient Loss and Diarrhea.- 11 . Diarrhea and Nutrient Requirements.- IV-Interventions against Diarrhea and Malnutrition.- 12 . Promotion of Breast-Feeding, Health, and Growth among Hospital-Born Neonates, and among Infants of a Rural Area of Costa Rica.- 13 . Oral Rehydration in the Treatment of Diarrhea: Issues in the Implementation of Diarrhea Treatment Programs.- 14 . Feeding Practices in Relation to Childhood Diarrhea and Malnutrition.- 15 . Environmental and Educational Interventions against Diarrhea in Guatemala.- V-Policy, Planning, and Implementation.- 16 . Diarrhea and Nutrient Requirements.- 17 . Therapeutic Interventions in Diarrhea.- 18 . Prevention and Control of the Diarrheal Diseases.- 19 . Diarrhea and Malnutrition: Research Priorities.- . Index.