Developing health education for oral rehydration therapy at a rural Nigerian Clinic: Part I

Diarrhoea and resulting dehydration are major causes of morbidity and mortality among young children in developing countries. Child survival initiatives are focusing on oral replacement of lost fluids and electrolytes as a feasible intervention. Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) rests heavily on health education since its ultimate aim is to encourage mothers to prepare and use sugar-salt solution (SSS) and other fluids at home during bouts of diarrhoea. Educational efforts to date have relied on mass media, home visits and clinic health talks, singly or in combination. The educational potentials for the ORT Unit based in a clinic and using a patient education model are now being explored. The unit provides a setting where new skills can be practiced and traditional beliefs synthesized with modern scientific ideas. The experience at an ORT Unit in rural Igbo-Ora, Nigeria, demonstrates the potential for developing an interactive, culturally relevant clinic-based diarrhoea education programme that could form the base for community outreach and awareness.