THE human body is comprised of more than 50 percent water and replacing body fluids lost to sweat and sickness is essential to remain healthy.

Dr Aung Kyi Win, medical superintendent of Yangon Children Hospital under the Ministry of Health, said the loss of 10pc of the body’s fluids is enough to endanger life.

This puts children particularly at risk, he said, because 80pc of their body is water, compared to 60pc for adults.

Children are also more susceptible to diseases that lead to loss of water, particularly diarrhoea, which is the top health problem among children under five years of age.

“In Myanmar, diarrhoea happens most in children under five years and is the third highest killer in this age category,” he said.

Dr Aung Kyi Win said it was important for both children and adults to combat water loss if they were sick.

“One sick child should drink at least one litre of water or juice per day and adults should drink 2.5 litres of any kind of liquid,” he said.