Awareness of and attitude towards oral rehydration therapy

Forty eight Medical practitioners, 56 pharmacists and 55 mothers of children with diarrhoea were interviewed, using a prepared questionnaire, in an attempt to evaluate in each group, the awareness of and attitude towards oral rehydration therapy. 69% of mothers interviewed were aware of oral rehydration therapy, but only 66% among them practised it. 48% of mothers interviewed, received advice regarding oral rehydration therapy from medical personnel and health care providers. It was found that the ORS preparations not conforming to WHO formulation were the most widely stocked and used and the most widely sold. 9% of pharmacists advocated only glucose as a treatment for diarrhoea on their own. 60% of doctors advised and prescribed ORS preparation not conforming to WHO formulation, 44% of medical practitioners were not sure of the exact method of dilution and preparation of the commercially available preparations. The study has shown that there is more to be done towards realising the total success of ORT. We recommend that ORS preparations not conforming to WHO formulation be withdrawn from the market and further that the responsibility of their manufacture be undertaken by governmental agencies.