Health | diarrhea Single Pill Can Halt Diarrhea's Deadly Reign By Drew Nelles Posted Aug 9, 2009 2:09 PM CDT Copied A child suffering from severe diarrhea is treated at a clinic of the International Medical Corps in a displaced people's camp, Monday, Nov. 3, 2008 in Kibati north of Goma in eastern Congo. (AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo) Diarrhea kills 1.6 million children under 5 every year—more than AIDS or malaria—and gets a fraction of the funding. But a deceptively simple new treatment may mark a breakthrough, Time reports. Zinc supplements appear to dramatically decrease diarrhea-related deaths—one afflicted village in Mali hasn’t had a single death since the pills arrived. Zinc “has totally taken off,” a researcher says. “It looks like real medicine and is not given out for free.” The entire treatment costs less than 30 cents, and a single dose lasts an entire season. It’s still not clear how exactly zinc fights diarrhea; the researcher suggests that zinc boosts the immune system, helping the body fight off diarrhea’s worst effects. Still, the people in charge are paying attention: several African governments have started zinc programs, and some 20 companies worldwide are manufacturing the pills. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Report an error