Diarrhoea control approach launched
Feb 17, 2008
THE Ministry of Health has come up with a new approach in the management of childhood diarrhoea. Diarrhoea management continues to be a major problem in Uganda despite the fact that it is easily preventable and can be managed.
By Juliet Waiswa
THE Ministry of Health has come up with a new approach in the management of childhood diarrhoea. Diarrhoea management continues to be a major problem in Uganda despite the fact that it is easily preventable and can be managed.
The ministry estimates that out of the 200,000 children born every year, 17% of them (about 40,000) die before their first birthday as a result of diarrhoea-related diseases.
During the launch of ORT and Zinc at Mukono Health Centre IV, recently, Zainab Akol, the principal medical officer of the Ministry of Health, said the main causes of diarrhoea are poor hygiene, drinking unboiled water and not washing hands before eating.
As a result, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF in collaboration with USAID made a joint policy statement to improve the management of childhood diarrhoea. The health ministry is revitalising and scaling up the oral re-hydration therapy.
The advances that have been formulated to manage diarrhoeal diseases are oral dehydration salts containing lower concentrations of glucose and salt with a combination of zinc supplements.
The medicine will be distributed free in government hospitals, but will cost sh1,500 in clinics and drug shops.
It reduces the re-occurrence of diarrhoea in the first two to three months after completion of treatment.
THE Ministry of Health has come up with a new approach in the management of childhood diarrhoea. Diarrhoea management continues to be a major problem in Uganda despite the fact that it is easily preventable and can be managed.
The ministry estimates that out of the 200,000 children born every year, 17% of them (about 40,000) die before their first birthday as a result of diarrhoea-related diseases.
During the launch of ORT and Zinc at Mukono Health Centre IV, recently, Zainab Akol, the principal medical officer of the Ministry of Health, said the main causes of diarrhoea are poor hygiene, drinking unboiled water and not washing hands before eating.
As a result, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF in collaboration with USAID made a joint policy statement to improve the management of childhood diarrhoea. The health ministry is revitalising and scaling up the oral re-hydration therapy.
The advances that have been formulated to manage diarrhoeal diseases are oral dehydration salts containing lower concentrations of glucose and salt with a combination of zinc supplements.
The medicine will be distributed free in government hospitals, but will cost sh1,500 in clinics and drug shops.
It reduces the re-occurrence of diarrhoea in the first two to three months after completion of treatment.