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ORT: Celebration and Challenge
How Oral Rehydration Works
Management of Diarrhoea and use of ORT
Achievements and Challenges
25 Years of Saving Lives
Knowledge and Use of ORT
Communication and Social Mobilization
The Solution is in Your Hands
A Solution for Survival
Brochure: A Pocket Reference for Scouts
ORT: Elixir of life
ORT: Saved My Daughter's Life
ORT: Success Stories
Oral
Rehydration Therapy: Success Stories
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Pilot Campaigns Halve Deaths
The Do-It-Yourself Version
Hospitals Changing To ORT
Saving
Lives - And Growth
Brochure: UNICEF, Duncan Mil and Belinda Magee,
The Observer, London, Photograph: Asem Ansari / ICDDR
Dehydration - caused by diarrhoea - is the biggest single killer of
children in the modern world. Now it can be prevented by oral rehydration therapy (ORT)
using either a sachet of salts or a cheaper homemade version. As a
result, parents themselves could prevent the deaths of several million children each year.
Childhood Diseases
In developing countries, 70% of childhood deaths - over 8 million - are caused by no more than
five conditions - pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles and malnutrition. Three out of every four
children who seek healthcare are suffering from one or more of these conditions. Yet low-cost
interventions are available to prevent or treat them.
In Mexico, for example, determined efforts by the government to promote the use of oral
re-hydration therapy - which costs as little as US$0.33 - to immunize children against measles,
and to improve access to safe water and sanitation have succeeded in reducing childhood deaths
from diarrhoeal diseases by 60% in less than a decade. Other key factors in this success have
included an increase in education levels among women, investment of adequate resources and the
widespread use of case management guidelines.
- World Bank - January 2, 2001
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Pilot
Campaigns Halve Deaths
Field trials with ORT have reduced diarrhoea deaths by 50% in villages
and urban neighbourhoods of "ORT can rightly be called the medical miracle of this century ....
For peoples in Asia, Africa and Latin American, ORT holds the promise of healthier
childhoods and more productive adult lives."
Shamsul Hag. Minister for Health and Population Control, Government of
Bangladesh.
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THE DO-IT-YOURSELF VERSION
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The preventing dehydration, an equally effective oral rehydration
solution can be made using ingredients found in almost every household:
8 Teaspoons of sugar
1 Teaspoon of salt
1 Litre of water
Some traditional remedies - such as conjee or carrot soup - also make
highly effective oral rehydration solutions. |
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HOSPITALS
CHANGING TO ORT
Many hospitals in both poor and rich countries are now changing from
intravenous therapy to ORT.
Note : Median figure for 8 hospitals in developing countries.
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SAVING LIVES - AND GROWTH
Frequent diarrhoea is one of the most important causes of malnutrition.
The use of ORT can help to maintain a child's growth:
A Turkish study on two groups of children - one with and one
without ORT
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Average Duration of Illness:
- with ORT - 2.57 days
- without ORT - 4.97 days
Monthly Average Weight Gain:
- with ORT - 430 gms
- without ORT - 324 gms
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"We believe that, ultimately, widespread adoption of ORT in
developing countries will break the vicious cycle of diarrhoea, malnutrition, and death -
especially for the principal victims: very young children."
Dr. W B Greennough, Director, International Centre of Diarrhoeal
Disease Research, Bangladesh.
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