PSI

For families affected by diarrhea, PSI and its partners work together to provide treatment options to save the lives of children who may otherwise die from diarrhea-related dehydration. These options include oral rehydration salts to counteract the potentially fatal dehydration caused by diarrhea, and zinc supplements to decrease the incidence, severity, duration and recurrence of diarrheal disease in children. PSI’s diarrhea treatments, including diarrhea treatment kits (DTKs) - a prepackaged combination of two ORS sachets and ten zinc tablets - have averted more than 50,000 DALYs in 2010 alone. PSI’s diarrheal disease treatment programs educate caregivers on the use of ORS and zinc and expand the availability of these life-saving products through commercial and other non-traditional channels, including community based outreach and community case management of diarrhea. Globally, PSI socially markets diarrhea treatment in 13 countries: Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Cambodia, India and Myanmar.

Oral Rehydration Therapy

Ninety-five percent of child deaths related to diarrhea can be prevented by a simple and inexpensive public health solution, oral rehydration therapy. Oral rehydration therapy consists of a sugar and salt solution which is offered as a drink to children. ORT is often achieved through the provision of oral rehydration salts (ORS), a powder from which mothers can easily make solution. ORS can cost as little as $0.02 per child treated.

In 1978 the World Health Organization launched a worldwide campaign to reduce child mortality related to diarrhea, highlighting the principle role of Oral Rehydration Therapy. Between 1980 and 2003, ORT decreased diarrheal deaths among children under five from 4.6 million deaths worldwide to 2.5 million — a 60% reduction. ORS was hailed as “one of the great public health success stories of our time" by Dr. Gro Brundtland, former Director-General of the World Health Organization. Jim Grant, former director of UNICEF, would not visit a head of state without ORS in his pocket.

Zinc Supplementation

WHO has defined zinc deficiency as one of the major risks to child health and recommended the use of zinc supplementation and the new formulation of oral rehydration salts (ORS) as the best way to decrease the incidence, severity, duration and recurrence of diarrheal disease in children. Studies have shown that zinc supplementation provides a prophylactic protection against future bouts of diarrhea, and results in a 25% reduction in duration of acute diarrhea and 40% reduction in treatment failure or death in persistent diarrhea.

PSI markets zinc tablets alone and packaged together along with ORS as a diarrhea treatment kit. The kit contains a ten day course of zinc treatments along with two sachets of ORS, the optimal combination recommended by WHO/UNICEF.

Related content by category
Health Areas: Child Survival, Diarrheal Disease