Asha workers along with other Health Department officials will be visiting an estimated 24,000 households in the district having children under the age of 5 years over the next 15 days to distribute Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and Zinc tablets as part of the Integrated Diarrhoea Control Fortnight.
Speaking to The Hindu about the Integrated Diarrhoea Control Fortnight launched at the District Hospital in Mysuru on Monday, District Health Officer K.H. Prasad said the health workers will explain to the parents about the need to administer ORS along with zinc tablets whenever the children suffer from diarrhoea. He explained that zinc acts as a catalyst for absorption of ORS. “It is only 50 per cent effective when only ORS is administered. But, when administered along with zinc tablets, it is 90 per cent effective”, he said.
Diarrhoea is responsible for the mortality of 4.5 per cent of hildren before reaching 5 years. Dehydration and poor immunity are identified as the reasons among children dying due to diarrhoea.
