Oral rehydration therapy: Implementation issues in community-based distribution programs

Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) has been documented to be a useful intervention for cases of diarrheal dehydration of viral, choierai and other bacterial etiology. If several months elapse between the time mothers are taught ORT preparation and the beginning of the diarrhea season, they may forget important points and may require retraining. Training should be competency based and continue until workers prepare, explain, and supervise client preparation of ORT adequately and have demonstrated these abilities in field tests. The advantage of the World Health Organization solution is that the concentration is considered effective for all causes of diarrhea, including cholera, which produces high fecal sodium losses. In planning adequate supervision for an ORT program, planners and trainers are advised to consider both direct and indirect supervision. The use of an ORT packet after every episode of one loose stool may add to client and program costs.