Wider Use of Diarrhoea Control Measures Urged

Modern methods for prevention and treatment of diarrhoea need to be widely used to reduce the deaths from the disease worldwide, urge researchers. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health are advising the increase in the usage of oral rehydration solution (ORS), zinc supplementation and rotavirus vaccine for diarrhoeal diseases.

"New methods for prevention, management and treatment of diarrhea-including an improved oral rehydration formulation, zinc supplementation and rotavirus vaccines-make now the time to revitalize efforts to reduce diarrhea mortality worldwide," Lancet quoted Mathuram Santosham, from Bloomberg School's Department of International Health, as saying.

"Unfortunately, diarrhea treatment in many countries is not a priority. Therefore, we cannot assume that diarrhea treatment will improve simply through introduction of zinc and low osmolarity oral solutions to these health systems," wrote the author.

"National governments and donors should recognize the urgent need for new resources to strengthen health systems for delivery of oral rehydration solution and zinc while maintaining an adequate supply chain and training health workers," added Santosham.

The findings and recommendations were published in The Lancet.

Source-ANI