ORS
Sep 20, 2023
A nurse administers a rotavirus vaccine in Kakamega County, Kenya. Photo: PATH/Anthony Karumba.
Nearly all African countries have introduced rotavirus vaccines or plan to do so within the next couple of years. The vaccines are safe, effective, and
Blog
Jul 25, 2023
Photo: icddr,b.
Ever heard of the saying, "Small things can make a big difference?" Since 2015, I have had the privilege of working at icddr,b, which houses the world's largest diarrhoeal disease hospital. It's an enlightening experience,
Blog
Aug 04, 2022
A pitcher, cups, and co-packaged ORS and zinc awaits patients at an Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) corner at Elwesero Model Health Clinic in Kakamega, Kenya. Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), diarrhea is one
Blog
Jul 20, 2022
Rose Kanali, a helth practitoner at Kilingili Health Centre in Kakamega, Kenya, displays co-packaged oral rehydration solution and zinc, the WHO/UNICEF-recommended treatment for childhood diarrhea. Photo: PATH/Anthony Karumba.
Are you parched for
Blog
Jun 08, 2022
A mother spoon-feeds her child oral rehydration solution in the oral rehydration therapy corner of Malava County Hospital in Kakamega, Kenya. Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
Water. Sugar. Salt. These are the ingredients of oral rehydration solution
Blog
Feb 02, 2022
Last month, in collaboration with the Child Health Task Force, the ORS/Zinc Co-pack Alliance (ORSZCA) and its co-chairs, Dr Moseda Chowdhury (BRAC, Bangladesh) and Samy Ahmar (Save the Children, UK) made its official debut. More than 30 countries
Blog
Aug 24, 2021
In low-resource countries, diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death among children under age five. Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is a simple, low-cost, and highly effective treatment for diarrhea. Unfortunately, fewer than half of children
Blog
Jul 29, 2021
There’s a reason why oral rehydration solution (ORS) has been called one of the greatest scientific achievements in the twentieth century: this simple mixture of sugar, water, and salt has saved millions of lives.
In children, the dangerous
Blog
Mar 31, 2021
Note from DefeatDD: This blog originally appeared on the Nutrition International website.
Zinc and oral rehydration solution (ORS) are the World Health Organization’s recommended first-line treatment for diarrhea, and Nutrition International’s
Blog
Nov 23, 2020
The number of drug-resistant infections is growing worldwide. By increasing access to recommended tools to prevent and treat diarrhea—vaccines, oral rehydration solution (ORS) + zinc, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)—we can help slow the
Blog
Oct 28, 2020
A mother in Katete District, Zambia, holds Kit Yamoyo - the brand name of an ORS+zinc co-pack commercialized in Zambia. Photo: ColaLife
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends co-packaged oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc—a simple and
Blog
Sep 22, 2020
In wealthy countries, toilet paper hoarding became a reactionary phenomenon in the early months of the pandemic: a case study in stubborn inequity as two billion people around the world don’t have a toilet.
Climate change. Inequity. COVID-19 and
Blog
Jul 27, 2020
Over 500,000 children die due to diarrheal diseases each year despite the fact that diarrhea is a preventable and treatable disease.
One way to prevent diarrheal deaths is through treatment with oral rehydration solution (ORS), a simple therapy
Blog
Jun 10, 2020
A boy in a clinic in Kenya sips oral rehydration solution to recover from dehydrating diarrhea. Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
Simon Berry, ColaLife and Robert Choy, PATH submitted this blog on behalf of the Diarrhea Innovations Group. This post
Blog
May 12, 2020
Although mortality rates for COVID-19 appear to be low in children and in women of reproductive age, these groups might be disproportionately affected by the disruption of routine health services, especially childbirth care and essential medicines,
Published research
Apr 21, 2020
In 2019, the World Health Organization added co-packaged ORS and zinc to its Essential List of Medicines. This will improve availability, uptake, and affordability of these lifesaving diarrhea treatments.
UPDATE: The DefeatDD is heartened that
Blog
Apr 18, 2020
In 1980, 14 million young children were dying every year in low-income countries – and diarrheal diseases led the count with three million deaths each year.
Trials had recently shown that 70 percent of diarrhea deaths could be prevented with oral
Graphics
Apr 16, 2020
In 1985, a man named Jim Grant, the relatively new director of UNICEF, traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with President Salvador Jorge Blanco. Blanco was apparently taken by Grant’s charisma and hosted a state dinner in which he asked Grant
Blog
Mar 20, 2020
Sunday is World Water Day, a day that we’ve celebrated at DefeatDD annually for over ten years. It’s always been one of our favorite ways to focus attention to our world’s growing need for clean water – and the actions we must take to attain it
Blog
Feb 20, 2020
“As climate and commercial threats intensify, WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission presses for radical rethink on child health,” opens the press release for the launch of the new report, A Future for the World’s Children?
The question mark is an unsettling
Blog
Sep 19, 2019
Last week, PATH sponsored a webinar: Increasing access to lifesaving commodities one list at a time: approaches to advocating for the evolution of Essential Medicines Lists.
WHO’s addition of co-packaged ORS and zinc to the global list of
Blog
Jul 24, 2019
Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
As pediatricians, the currency of our trade is data, not miracles. But lifesaving oral rehydration solution (ORS) blurs these lines.
Miraculous: there’s no other way to describe what it’s like to see a sunken-eyed
Blog
Jul 19, 2019
Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
After decades of mediocre uptake of ORS and zinc, the Diarrhea Innovations Group (DIG) – an international network of child health stakeholders co-chaired by and housed within PATH – petitioned the World Health Organization
Blog
Jul 17, 2019
Just the facts: these high-level talking points on diarrheal disease tell you what you need to know about the global crisis and the solutions. Each bullet includes a link to more information. View and share the message map or the plain text below
Message maps
Jul 09, 2019
You won’t find it in the sports pages, but the World Health Organization (WHO) just made a game-changing decision in the field of diarrheal disease by adding co-packaged oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc to its Model List of Essential
Blog
May 01, 2019
The Stop Diarrhoea Initiative (SDI), a project by Save the Children, India, aimed to showcase the WHO/UNICEF Seven-Point Plan as the most effective strategy to comprehensively prevent and treat childhood diarrhoea. The project contributes to Save
Blog
Mar 13, 2019
Mothers in Kenya feed oral rehydration solution (ORS) to children dehydrated from diarrhea. Photo: PATH/Tony Karumba.
ORS + zinc is the globally recommended treatment for diarrhea. Thanks to the effort of PATH and other partners of the Diarrhea
Blog
Mar 06, 2019
Feb 05, 2019
Policy spotlight: improved access to ORS and zinc
We'
Blog
Feb 05, 2019
This message map provides key talking points about oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc, the treatment for diarrhea recommended by the World Health Organization.
Read the full message map, available in English and French.
Message maps
Feb 05, 2019
Our motto at DefeatDD is that every child gets diarrhea, but no child should die from it. This aspiration is not a pipe dream. We have prevention and treatment tools and the evidence that proves they can save and improve lives and livelihoods – but
Blog
Feb 01, 2019
In July 2019, the World Health Organization set the global norm to deploy a simple, powerful game-changer: the ORS + zinc co-pack.
Now, we need to encourage more countries to follow suit with their own essential medicine lists. Read on
Special Features
Jan 09, 2019
An amino acid–based oral rehydration solution is among the potential solutions to heal gut damage. Photo: PATH/Amy Gottlieb.
Adapted from an article that originally appeared on PATH.org.
The global diarrheal disease burden comes with
Blog
Nov 19, 2018
In the game of cricket and in most sports, the all-star players are the ones who are best at teamwork. I was the captain of the cricket team at my high school, and I played cricket all the way through medical school. I was the wicket keeper who
Blog
Nov 15, 2018
A summary of the work led by the Diarrhea Innovations Group, housed at PATH, to submit an application to the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines for Children for the addition of co-packaged oral rehydration solution (ORS)
Factsheets
Nov 12, 2018
Feb 05, 2014
Myth: diarrhea is rarely fatal
Blog
Sep 12, 2018
Diarrhea: The good, the bad, and what you can do to help address this global crisis. Read the full message map, available in English and French.
Message maps
Sep 10, 2018
Between 2005-2015, child deaths from diarrhea plummeted by 30%. But we now know that the long-term consequences of multiple diarrhea episodes are severe. It isn’t fair that children be saved, just to lose out on a happy, healthy life.
We’ll
Video
Sep 10, 2018
In 2008 I started a job at PATH to promote a childhood vaccine against a nasty infection called “rotavirus.” I had never heard of rotavirus but immediately learned that it’s a major killer – responsible for more child deaths around the world than
Blog
Aug 22, 2018
Diarrhea. It is often the stuff of comedy, a dreaded first date woe, or an uncomfortable inconvenience after indulging in too much guac.
Beyond the silly and the squeamish, though, there’s a more important story to be told: diarrheal disease is a
Blog
Dec 20, 2017
You know what makes for a really memorable holiday?
Viral diarrhea.
This year, a few days before my family was due to arrive at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, my mom came down with a very mild case of stomach flu. She recovered within a
Blog
Dec 01, 2017
In 2015, civil war broke out in Yemen between the government and the rebel movement, triggering a humanitarian crisis that has resulted in more than 70 per cent of the population needing immediate aid and assistance. Yemen is one of the poorest
Blog
Nov 19, 2017
Download this image for Twitter or Facebook.
Optional link: http://report.defeatdd.org/ors-zinc/
Download this image for Twitter or Facebook. Optional link: http://report.defeatdd.org/ors-zinc/
Download this image for Twitter or Facebook.
Graphics
Nov 15, 2017
We need your help to make a stink about diarrheal disease and the solutions to defeat it: Create and share a Toilet Talk! It's like a one-minute TED Talk in a bathroom, and you can share it on social media using the hashtag #DefeatDD. Check our our
Video
Nov 09, 2017
Childhood diarrhea deaths have decreased, but children are still getting sick and infections are a major problem. Children who survive an episode but are faced with repeated infections are more likely to suffer from lifelong cognitive and physical
Reports
Oct 10, 2017
Diarrhea is dangerous because of dehydration. ORS and zinc are recommended as the cornerstone diarrhea treatment by the World Health Organization.
Video
Jul 27, 2017
It's Boombah's birthday, but he has fallen sick with diarrhea. What's a muppet to do? ORS to the rescue!
Special thanks to Sesame Workshop and Gall Galli Sim Sim! http://www.galligallisimsim.com/
Video
Jul 10, 2017
To stop the vicious cycle of malnutrition and diarrhea and subsequent lifelong impacts, we need to reach children early with a multifaceted approach, especially in the hardest to reach areas. These models of success in India are turning the tide.
Video
Jul 10, 2017
When children live in poor countries, their risk of diarrheal disease is much higher. Solutions to alleviate the burden exist, but we need greater awareness and action if we are going to protect children, families, and communities from the lifelong
Video
Jun 29, 2017
Six years ago, I traveled through rural Western Kenya to gather stories about Alfred Ochola’s one-man mission to restore oral rehydration therapy (ORT) corners in local hospitals. Though I was there to listen and observe, Alfred handed me a hot
Blog
May 01, 2017
The US Government's Call to Action for Child Survival, launched in 2012, initiated an annual Acting on the Call report that documented the US government contributions to child health around the world. The 2017 report outlines what is possible if we
Reports
Apr 05, 2017
After 25 years working for private sector companies in India, I decided to make a career shift. I joined the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) in 2013 to lead its recently-launched program in India to reduce child mortality due to
Blog
Feb 14, 2017
When you work in global health – and have a toddler – poo is a frequent topic of conversation. Whether it’s breakfast, a walk to the playground, or a nice quiet dinner, I am always up for a good chat about defecation. But not everyone seems to
Blog
Oct 05, 2016
Do you remember that episode of the Magic School Bus where the class shrinks into a bite-sized morsel to take a journey through the digestive system? It’s one of my favorites! Since a shrink ray is out of scope for our budget (maybe next year),
Blog
Oct 01, 2016
Poo Haiku has a special legacy as DefeatDD’s first social media campaign and is undoubtedly a fan favorite. Whimsical, informative, and an open forum for all sectors to raise their voice, it is the epitome of what our team considers a successful
Article
Oct 01, 2016
This infographic walks you through the biology behind a key question: Why is diarrhea so dangerous, anyway?
The danger is in the dehydration caused by a diarrhea pathogen (in our example, ETEC).
Children are especially vulnerable to dehydration
Graphics
Sep 16, 2016
Superheroes and villains face off in the battle to DefeatDD! With their powers combined, Nutrition, Vaccines, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene), and ORS + Zinc help children, families, and communities conquer the biggest bugs terrorizing towns
Video
Aug 29, 2016
Say sayonara to Star Trek because this summer's biggest blockbuster isn't playing at your local theater. The most compelling drama comes to you right here, as superheroes and villains face off in the fight to defeat diarrheal disease!
That sight
Blog
Aug 10, 2016
Eight-year-old Dipesh can tell his class everything about ‘dast' (diarrhea) and what to do if anyone gets diarrhea. He says if oral rehydration salts (ORS) don't give you relief, you need to go see a doctor.
Like Dipesh, many other children in
Blog
Mar 01, 2016
A mother in Uganda gives her 3 year old daughter, Naume, ORS and zinc for her diarrhea and she recovers quickly. She is well again and loves playing with her two older sisters. Photo credit: Melinda Stanley, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc
Blog
Feb 29, 2016
By end of 2015, diarrhea remained a leading killer of children under 5, claiming the lives of approximately 530,000 children annually. However, significant progress has been made over the past decade to scale up access to and use of zinc and ORS,
Reports
Jan 01, 2016
From 2005 to 2015, Abt Associates engaged with the private health sector through two USAID-funded projects: POUZN (Social Marketing Plus for Diarrheal Disease Control: Point-of-use Water Disinfection and Zinc Treatment) and SHOPS (Strengthening
Reports
Dec 09, 2015
How are we going to save the 550,000 children who still die of diarrhea each year? It's a daunting question. While vaccines against the leading cause of severe childhood diarrhea are key to prevention, treatment should also remain an important focus
Blog
Dec 07, 2015
Project Syndicate, December 2015A new report from the International Vaccine Access Center shows that nearly three-quarters of the deaths from pneumonia and diarrhea occur in just 15 countries and in the poorest communities. While we've made progress
Latest news
Nov 04, 2015
Originally posted on Global Health TV.
I'm grateful to Chelsea Clinton for her admission that she is “obsessed with diarrhea,” and her total lack of embarrassment in bringing it up repeatedly. In an interview with Fast Company, it was the first
Blog
Sep 23, 2015
Every family across the world wants the best for their children. But everyday dangers in their environment make diarrhea a common and serious threat: more than half a million children die from diarrhea each year, and millions more are hospitalized
Video
Sep 22, 2015
“The results communicate a clear message: We can choose a better future for the world's children.”
I love that sentence from UNICEF's most recent A Promise Renewed progress report. The fact that we have a choice makes two essential points: (1)
Blog
Sep 17, 2015
Every day, concerned families bring children of all ages to the famous Cholera Hospital run by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). The children are brought to be treated for diarrhoea, but many are
Blog
Sep 01, 2015
In June 2012, the Governments of Ethiopia, India and the United States of America convened the Child Survival Call to Action in Washington, D.C. This high-level forum brought together over 700 representatives from government, civil society and the
Reports
Aug 27, 2015
USAID, August 2015The 2015 Acting on the Call: ending preventable child and maternal deaths report reveals that USAID's maternal and child survival efforts have resulted in nearly 2.5 million more children surviving and 200,000 maternal deaths
Latest news
Jul 15, 2015
It started with more than 500 global health innovations submitted by people in more than 50 countries.
Filtered through more than 60 independent health experts and a rating scale measuring factors like affordability, accessibility, and
Blog
Jun 24, 2015
Partnership between PATH and icddr,b has yielded crucial research results that have not only impacted local communities, but have also informed global policy advances. Today's blog highlights icddr,b's important role in research and clinical care,
Blog
Feb 17, 2015
International Business Times, February 2015
New data published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that health workers in India often wrongfully prescribe antibiotics for simple cases of diarrhea, instead of oral rehydration solution and zinc, contributing to
Latest news
Oct 21, 2014
This morning I awoke to some rare good news regarding Ebola. Nigeria has been declared Ebola-free by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization.
And once again we hear what many of us already know: ORS saves lives. According to
Blog
Oct 01, 2014
In a swampy field in Western Kenya, an energetic Alfred Ochola surveys the crowd. All eyes are on him as he rolls up his pants, wades into a muddy stream, and fills a bucket with dirty water.
Special Features
Aug 13, 2014
I grew up in an educated middle class Bangladeshi family in Dhaka, the capital of the country. I grew up with the idea that immunization is not important, that vaccines could have an adverse effect on vital organs of your body. Having a strong
Blog
Aug 06, 2014
BBC Health, August 2014Oral rehydration solution (ORS) is potentially the most important medical advance of the 20th century. This article tells the story of Dr. Hirschhorn, the man behind its beginnings.Read the full article
Latest news
Jul 09, 2014
Two years after we first met ColaLife in Lusaka, Zambia, we welcomed them to Seattle. The city didn't disappoint: ColaLife founder Simon Berry lamented a forgotten raincoat upon his introduction to typical Northwest weather; and he even garnered his
Blog
Jun 02, 2014
If there was a way to save half a million children's lives every year, wouldn't you join that movement?
Get looped in to the global movement to defeat diarrheal disease.
Video
May 21, 2014
If you move in global health circles, you may have had the good fortune to meet soccer star (and ONE Campaign Global Health Policy Director) Erin Hohlfelder. In her recent blog, she reflects on how access to lifesaving immunizations gave her the
Blog
May 05, 2014
To the average passerby, Dar es Salaam is a busy, bustling city. With a lovely coastline, welcoming people, and so much culture, it seems Tanzania is humming. And undoubtedly, it is. However, for all of Tanzania's development and progress—like
Blog
Feb 24, 2014
BioSpectrum, February 2014Diarrhea kills 100,000 children in India each year. Simple measures and an integrated approach could change this.Read the full article
Latest news
Feb 05, 2014
Myth: Diarrhea is no more serious than the common cold.
Mythbuster: Dr. Alfred Ochola, technical advisor for child survival and development for PATH's Kenya Program.
As a doctor and as a father, I am saddened by this myth because it costs many
Blog
Jan 01, 2014
When oral rehydration solution (ORS) was first introduced in the 1970s as a simple, inexpensive, and highly effective means to reverse dehydration, the public health community was rightly convinced that the global burden of diarrheal disease would
Factsheets
Nov 07, 2013
I took my son to the doctor recently. In one office, during one visit, he had a physical check-up, vision and hearing exams, and he received counseling on nutrition, and several vaccines. While to many parents around this world, this is unremarkable
Blog
Oct 10, 2013
There's a story that haunts me in child health. It's the story of the child who successfully fights an episode of malaria one year because she got the right medicine at the right time but the following year, after a severe episode of pneumonia,
Blog
Sep 13, 2013
UNICEF, September 2013UNICEF has released the second report in the A Promise Renewed series, which tracks global progress on preventing child mortality. Some of the poorest countries have made the most progress, but there is still more to be done if
Latest news
Aug 29, 2013
Diarrhea and pneumonia are the leading causes of mortality in children under 5, accounting for over 2 million deaths annually. More than 90% of these deaths occur in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where children in the poorest, most rural
Blog
Jul 17, 2013
This is what caregivers in Kenya and India told researchers is most important to them when choosing treatment for their child. Now, you may be wondering ‘did we need a research study to learn that?' Yes, because of this paradox: the highly
Blog
Jul 05, 2013
New York Times, July 2013PATH's Evan Simpson and ColaLife weigh in on creating a market for ORS in the remote, rural areas where its lifesaving potential is greatest.Read the full article.
Latest news
May 09, 2013
One year ago this month, the plans were well underway - plenty of ideas, not too many specifics, and uncontainable excitement: The defeatDD team was heading to Zambia!
I had actually been once already, before joining PATH. Nine years prior,
Blog
Apr 24, 2013
We can prevent 95% of deaths from diarrhea and 65% of deaths from pneumonia by scaling up cost-effective interventions. How cool is that? That was the bottom line from US AID's briefing about the Integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and
Blog
Apr 17, 2013
Zambia is leading the charge to defeat diarrhea. The country serves as a model for the successful integration of policies, education, safe drinking water, rotavirus vaccines, and ORS/zinc.
Video: PATH; Photos: PATH/Gareth Bentley.
Video
Apr 11, 2013
This week, we celebrate integration. Though it is intrinsically at the heart of what we and our partners do in addressing myriad global health challenges through thoughtful, efficient strategies, today integration is particularly at the fore. For
Blog
Apr 10, 2013
Share these photos on Facebook and Twitter to help spread the word about the GAPPD: the first global plan to simultaneously tackle pneumonia and diarrhoea, two leading child killers.
Suggested Facebook status:
With a global plan to tackle
Graphics
Apr 05, 2013
Dr. George Armah, Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor, University of Ghana
Dr. Roma Chilengi, Country Lead, Absolute Return for Kids, Zambia
Dr. Chris Elemuwa, National Pneumonia Focal Point, National Primary Health Care Development
Other
Apr 05, 2013
Dr. Shams El Arifeen, Director, The Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, at ICDDR,B (icddr,b)
Dr. Lulu Bravo, Professor of Paediatric Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University of the
Other
Apr 05, 2013
This advocacy toolkit is designed to assist civil society organisations (CSOs), nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and other advocacy groups or individuals to advocate for the successful implementation of the recommendations of the Integrated
Toolkits
Apr 05, 2013
Dr. Koki Agarwal, Director, Maternal & Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP)
Dr. Greg Allgood, Director and Founder, Proctor & Gamble Children’s Safe Drinking Water Programme
Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance
Dr. Thomas Brewer
Other
Apr 05, 2013
Leaders of global and national NGOs, scientists, pediatricians, academics, and policymakers have issued statements to support the implementation of the GAPPD framework. To read through leader statements categorized by region, click the links below
Other
Apr 05, 2013
Diverse Array of NGOs and CSOs Call on Governments and Partners to
Make Global Action Plan a Reality
Statement of Support for the Integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea
Click here to view the
Other
Apr 05, 2013
EMBARGOED for Release:
01:01 Geneva local time
00:01 London local time
Friday, April 12, 2013
Other
Apr 05, 2013
Full report: Integrated Global Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) (PDF, 763 KB)
Authors: UNICEF and WHO
Published: April 2013
GAPPD report resources:
Executive summary: in English and French
Summary:
Reports
Mar 25, 2013
This past Friday was World Water Day and an opportunity to celebrate the excellent work being doing to promote water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the developing world. The UK has played a leading role in making WASH a priority for
Blog
Mar 13, 2013
Reposted from makingmalariahistory.org.
Last week, the Washington Global Health Alliance held its “Experience Global Health” exhibit on Capitol Hill. The unique, multi-sensory event presented stories of global health struggles (like malaria
Blog
Feb 27, 2013
Budgets and deficits. Fiscal cliffs and recessions. It's hard to find a good-news story about the economy right about now. Most of us feel like putting our money in our mattress and calling it a day. But here at DefeatDD, we have just the
Blog
Jan 23, 2013
Reposted from path.org.
In Cambodia, an innovative idea to treat pneumonia and diarrhea at the same time—profiled in this post—was so successful that the Ministry of Health plans to join with us and UNICEF to extend the project throughout
Blog
Jan 16, 2013
In a recent survey completed by PATH on perceptions of ORS and zinc in India and Kenya, caregivers in both countries demonstrated some encouraging similarities in knowledge and behavior:
· More than 90% of caregivers recognize the
Blog
Jan 08, 2013
Forbes, January 2013In a recent in-depth interview conducted by the Skoll World Forum‘s Rahim Kanani, Executive Director of UNICEF Anthony Lake discussed the urgent need to create a commodities market of life-saving medicines in the developing world
Latest news
Jan 01, 2013
This presentation gives a concise overview of the problem of diarrheal disease, the solutions and the ways to take action on this issue. Use the full presentation, or pull content from the slides to incorporate them into your own presentations. This
Presentations
Jan 01, 2013
In the early 1970s scientists discovered that a simple mixture of sugar and electrolyte solutions could help rehydrate people—particularly infants and children—who had lost fluids due to diarrhea. Packets of this oral rehydration solution (ORS)
Factsheets
Jan 01, 2013
PATH, in collaboration with the Cambodia Ministry of Health (MOH), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), implemented the Enhanced Diarrheal Disease (EDD)
Factsheets
Dec 20, 2012
A community meeting to receive health messages from a CHW.
Community-level perception of a public health intervention is tantamount to the success or failure of its uptake. Programs generated in the West can often be perceived as irrelevant,
Blog
Dec 14, 2012
It was an idea years in the making.
It was sparked by a newspaper article in the 1980s, buried deep within the news pages, stating that 1 in 5 children die of diarrhea. Though originally shocked by the statistic, Simon and Jane Berry, co-founders
Blog
Dec 04, 2012
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh: A global leader
In 1971, a cholera outbreak ravaged camps of refugees from the Bangladesh Liberation War. Supplies for intravenous rehydration, upon which physicians had relied for
Other
Oct 18, 2012
Yahoo! News, October 2012Chelsea Clinton is promoting access to ORS and zinc in Nigera, where only 2% of children have access and where 100,000 children die of diarrhea each year. Increasing the number of children with access to ORS and zinc by 80%
Latest news
Sep 26, 2012
Every Woman, Every Child, September 2012At the UN General Assembly, members of the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children submitted a new plan and set of recommendations to improve access to simple, lifesaving
Latest news
Sep 13, 2012
UNICEF, September 2012Data released by UNICEF show that the number of children under the age of 5 dying globally has dropped from nearly 12 million in 1990 to an estimated 6.9 million in 2011. Though the progress is remarkable and worth celebrating
Latest news
Sep 12, 2012
Social entrepreneurs with boundless creativity are redefining the outer limits of what's possible in global health. Two such visionaries, Simon and Jane Berry, have harnessed their mental oomph and creative prowess in the public health community
Blog
Sep 01, 2012
In 2010, the UN Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health highlighted the suffering of women and children around the world caused by lack of access to life-saving commodities. The Strategy called on the global community
Reports
Aug 21, 2012
PLOS, August 2012If the solutions to treat diarrhea and save lives are simple and cost-effective, why the lack of attention or investment? In the second article of a two-part series, Oliver Sabot of the Clinton Health Access Initiative outlines and
Latest news
Aug 21, 2012
PLOS, August 2012In the first of two posts, guest blogger Oliver Sabot from the Clinton Health Access Initiative reflects on challenges and opportunities to improve the use of zinc and ORS to treat diarrhea in a rural area of the Indian state of
Latest news
Jul 27, 2012
In2EastAfrica, July 2012Former US Present Bill Clinton visits Uganda to initiate the implementation of new steps to rapidly increase the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and zinc.Read the full article
Latest news
Jul 13, 2012
Ten years of development work, and this week marked my first visit to an African health care clinic. The waiting room was tiny, tight, and filled with weary anxiety. The bottom line being that, despite my own excitement, the women and children in
Blog
Jul 12, 2012
I don't think any of us expected to be deeply moved during an informational interview at Zambia's Ministry of Health, a stop typically made to gather facts and figures rather than inspiration.
In a crowded room with thick binders filling an
Blog
Jul 05, 2012
Infectious disease isn't the only thing that can go viral these days. Facebook posts and tweets can, too, which makes social media pretty powerful stuff.
At defeatDD, we spend a lot of time thinking about how we can harness the potential of
Blog
Jul 03, 2012
Countdown to 2015, June 2012The 2012 Countdown to 2015 Report, Building a Future for Women and Children, highlights country progress—and obstacles to progress—towards achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 to reduce child mortality and
Latest news
Jun 20, 2012
“Oh, Stephanie, NO. Not while we're eating our dinner!”
This is how the conversation usually goes when my parents make the mistake of asking me how my job is going over a family meal. I have become so used to discussing this subject, I forget
Blog
Jun 14, 2012
As health leaders from around the globe gather for the Child Survival Call to Action, it is heartening to see India take a leadership role as co-convener of the Summit. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Health and Family Welfare for India, will help
Blog
Jun 08, 2012
UNICEF, June 2012A new report from UNICEF focuses on the huge potential to narrow the child survival gap between the richest and the poorest by focusing on pneumonia and diarrhoea – the two primary killers of children under the age of five. The new
Latest news
May 23, 2012
Diarrhea is a scourge that has affected humanity throughout history. Battles have been lost by armies because of epidemics of diarrhea. Until recently there were no treatments available for diarrhea except intravenous fluids to correct
Blog
May 16, 2012
I didn't notice Savita Rai at first. I was too busy watching the mothers' group. I was in her Indian village to see how PATH's Sure Start project was transforming a devastating situation—high rates of maternal and newborn deaths—into one of hope
Blog
May 11, 2012
PATH welcomes the encouraging news published in the Lancet today that global child deaths continue to decrease, while also recognizing that the fight is far from over. Childhood diarrhea and pneumonia claim a combined 2 million lives annually and
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May 02, 2012
At USAID's "Every Child Deserves a 5th Birthday" briefing, USAID Administrator Raj Shah proudly displays a photo of one of his little ones, who had just graduated from her play group.
I've always had a soft spot for revolutionary people and ideas,
Blog
Apr 09, 2012
How can we stop millions of deaths from diarrhea? With simple solutions. Just listen...
Video
Apr 03, 2012
Last month I had the opportunity to go out into field with my colleagues in Cambodia where PATH is working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and local provincial health and operating districts to increase the coverage of zinc and ORS. A major new
Blog
Mar 14, 2012
Summer 2006, rural China: My colleagues and I take a bathroom break at a rest stop on the side of the road on our way to a health clinic. Unlike many female restrooms around the world, there isn't a long line of patrons waiting to use the holes in
Blog
Mar 02, 2012
Do you remember how your mom took care of you when you got sick?
Moms everywhere want to take care of their kids. Diarrhea can be deadly, but mothers have hope when they have access to simple solutions. Proven, affordable tools should be at-hand for
Video
Feb 13, 2012
British Medical Journal, February 2012With the deadline to achieving MDG 4 on the horizon, the British Medical Journal touts zinc and ORS to be among the best investments we can make to achieve the rapid progress needed to improve child mortality.
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Feb 08, 2012
The 1,000 days between a woman's pregnancy and her child's 2nd birthday represent a critical but short window of time to ensure a child's future health and prosperity. Children who are well-nourished during this critical window reap a lifetime of
Blog
Jan 12, 2012
In November, while traveling for PATH's Safe Water Project, I had the opportunity to link up with PATH's Alfred Ochola in Kakamega to tour ORT corners in two area hospitals. Having never been to rural Kenya, nor to any medical facilities in the
Blog
Jan 11, 2012
The Times of India, January 2012State government health facilities in Lucknow, India, has added zinc tablets to oral rehydration therapy (ORT) kits used for treating kids with diarrhea. Zinc is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for
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Dec 07, 2011
A young inpatient recovers from severe diarrhea, a bandage on his small hand the remnant of emergency IV rehydration.
By the second open-air hospital, I knew better than to look for water fountains. The sealed plastic bottles conspicuously tucked
Blog
Nov 01, 2011
This briefing paper details PATH's partnership with officials and health leaders in Vietnam that bridged policy with community health delivery to reduce hospitalization and death from childhood diarrhea. A multi-faceted effort brought the national
Factsheets
Oct 12, 2011
Last week I attended a briefing on Capitol Hill, part of a series focused on showcasing the Power of 1% of the US budget that goes to foreign assistance. The series was intended to garner support from Americans and our country's leaders for
Blog
Sep 14, 2011
Call it what you will: joining up or combining interventions, integration or disaggregation. Whatever you call it, it is essential to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and to alleviating poverty and disease. We can't agree more with
Blog
Aug 16, 2011
Data & Reports: Oral Rehydration Therapy (resources are listed chronologically)
Progress over a Decade of Zinc and ORS Scale-up: Best Practices and Lessons Learned
UNICEF and CHAI, 2016
Blueprint for Action: A Decade of Saving Children's Lives
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Jul 13, 2011
How can we make an impact on child health in far-away countries for those of us who are working from our desks in the US?
We think this is an incredibly important question, and so do our Facebook friends. In fact, when we recently interviewed
Blog
Apr 19, 2011
It's been a year since defeatDD was born. Back then, I blogged about how diarrhea was often a joke at the party, but less often a serious contender for action in the world of global health. Over the past year, I've started to think maybe I was
Blog
Apr 14, 2011
In the village of Kamusinga, Kenya, parents learn about basic diarrheal disease prevention strategies from a community health volunteer.
Memories of my stay in the bustling border town of Busia, Kenya, fill me with optimism. Last October, I
Blog
Mar 25, 2011
Voice of America, March 2011More than a million young children die each year from diarrhea, even though there's no secret about how to prevent or treat it. Now, public health experts have developed a new report showing that the vast majority of
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Jan 12, 2011
bdnews24.com, January 2011Rotavirus season in Bangladesh leads to a major increase in cases among infants and children, but interventions like rotavirus vaccines and oral rehydration therapy have the potential to save thousands of lives.Read the
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Dec 17, 2010
The New York Times, December 2010Though the cholera epidemic in Haiti has received international attention, ordinary diarrheal diseases have been killing Haitians for years. In fact, diarrhea is the leading killler of children in the country. In his
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Dec 17, 2010
Diarrheal disease treatment and prevention are on the wish list all year around for families and communities in developing countries,
so a number of charities and philanthropies are making it possible for gift givers to donate directly or in the
Blog
Nov 09, 2010
This week, PATH is co-hosting a symposium - along with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and Vietnam's National Pediatric Hospital - on the importance of taking an integrated approach to defeating diarrheal disease.
The gathering will bring
Blog
Oct 21, 2010
On a recent trip to Kenya's Western Province, I witnessed how the Oral Rehydration Treatment (ORT) corner is becoming an important part of primary care services in that region.
While I was visiting one of the ORT corners in Kakamega, a shy young
Blog
Sep 13, 2010
Daily Nation, September 2010Diarrheal disease is a severe problem in Kenya, but the Ministry of Health's new national policy on diarrheal disease control is beginning to change that picture. The recently launched strategy is based on a coordinated
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Sep 01, 2010
A room with benches, plastic containers, and oral rehydration solution (ORS): these are the simple tools that furnish a typical oral rehydration therapy (ORT) corner. In the 1980's, this highly effective, low-cost intervention tremendously impacted
Photo gallery
Aug 26, 2010
UNICEF, August 2010
Thousands of children in India die each year from diarrhea and its complications. But an estimated 88 per cent of global deaths from diarrhea are entirely preventable if simple treatment and basic health information can be
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Jul 14, 2010
One of the biggest challenges in global health is matching resources to the areas where the most lives can be saved.
It is a very serious problem, because resources are always scarce, and when they are not targeted to those areas where the most
Blog
Jul 01, 2010
USAID, June 2010
On June 29, 2010, Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. In his outline about how the President's Global Health Initiative will strengthen and integrate
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Jun 11, 2010
Our objective was simple.Charge $25 a ticket, draw a 500 person crowd of 20- and 30-somethings to a glamorous cocktail party in Seattle, focus the party on educating partygoers about global health and, more specifically, diarrheal disease, and use
Blog
Jun 10, 2010
June 2010"Seattle has spawned all sorts of innovative approaches to selling things that most people would have thought couldn’t be sold – like a $5 cup of coffee or books without a bookstore. But even the boldest Northwest innovators likely wouldn’t
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Jun 02, 2010
A little girl in a pink dress sent me to Kenya.She introduced herself to me through this photo, as she cupped her hands under a spigot for perhaps her first exposure to clean water. I lingered over the photo the first time I saw it because she
Blog
Apr 04, 2010
Follow PATH's Alfred Ochola as he demonstrates how simple, cost-effective solutions are defeating diarrheal disease in Western Kenya. Read more about Alfred Ochola on PATH's website.
Video
Mar 31, 2010
No one wants talk about it, but diarrheal disease is the second leading killer of children around the world. Watch this video to find out why and learn how you can add your voice to the growing conversation.
Video
Mar 30, 2010
On March 31, 2010, the Government of Kenya stepped out as a regional leader in the renewed fight against DD—unveiling an updated national policy to manage and control diarrheal disease. The policy, which highlights traditional and new interventions
Other
Mar 12, 2010
One woman’s stand against diarrheal disease
Women rarely hold office in Kenya. Florence Weke-sa is an exception. Currently deputy mayor of Kimilili, Florence is the first woman to hold the position and was the only female councilor on the Kimilili
Blog
Feb 01, 2010
CBS News, February 2010 The acute phase of destruction in Haiti is over, but the second phase of the emergency is still taking its toll: respiratory infections, malnutrition, diarrhea due to unsafe water, and a lack of appropriate food for young
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Oct 01, 2009
UNICEF, October 2009 This press release on the UNICEF website gives an overview of the recently launched report by WHO and UNICEF, Diarrhoeal Why Children Are Still Dying and What Can Be Done. It outlines the topics covered in the report, including
Latest news
Oct 01, 2009
United Nations Radio, October 2009 "It's a tragedy that diarrhoea, which is little more than an inconvenience in the developed world, kills an estimated 1.5 million children each year says UNICEF Executive Director, Ann Veneman. She says inexpensive
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Oct 01, 2009
Collection Development Blog, October 2009 This article outlines the findings of the new UNICEF/WHO report, Diarrhoea: Why Children Are Still Dying and What Can Be Done, including the seven-point prevention and treatment strategy. Several effective,
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Oct 01, 2009
ONE, October 2009 Dr. Amador, Director of Health Systems and Technology in Nicaragua at PATH, blogs about the incredible strides his country has made in the fight against diarrheal disease, thanks to PATH's partnership to provide the rotavirus
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Sep 01, 2009
New York Times, September 2009 Simple solutions like exclusive breastfeeding and the commitment of community health workers have helped drive down child deaths in the developing world, according to new data from UNICEF. But to reach the Millennium
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Sep 01, 2009
Media Newswire, September 2009 The Gates Foundation is providing a two year grant to the Yale School of Medicine as a team of scientists conduct clinical trials for a new and improved oral rehydration solution. Read the full article.
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Sep 01, 2009
Stories on Malawi, September 2009 PATH's Evan Simpson writes about the importance of an integrated approach in the fight against diarrheal disease. He highlights momentum already happening in Malawi specifically, having just spoken at the annual
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Jul 01, 2009
The Huffington Post, July 2009 "While memories of President Obama speech in Ghana promising a 'comprehensive, global health strategy' are fresh, we hope he, Ghanian President John Atta-Mills and other world leaders do not miss an opportunity to
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Jul 01, 2009
The Jakarta Post, July 2009 The author of this article outlines the most frequent causes of diarrhea in developing countries, warning signs for parents of sick children, and the "dos and don'ts" of treatment options.Read the full article.
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May 01, 2009
IPIU, May 2009 Shanely Knox highlights the preventable nature of diarrheal disease and makes a case for simple solutions that deserve more attention, using stories from the field and input from experts.Read the full article.
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May 01, 2009
Center for Global Development, May 2009 Scott Kniaz, program coordinator on the Global Health Team at the Center for Global Development, discusses the comprehensive advocacy approach embodied in the recently launched Call to Action against diarrheal
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May 01, 2009
The Huffington Post, May 2009 Author Richard Chin advocates for action against diarrheal disease--the second leading cause of death in children--and urges readers to join the fight against this "senseless killer."Read the full article.
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Sep 16, 2008
Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of death among infants and young children, accounting for 18% of child deaths and 13% of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). If the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 for reducing child
Other
Oct 01, 2006
Time, October 2006 An article on the history and potential of oral rehydration solution.Read the full article here.
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