Dr. Richard Cash, MD, MPH, Senior Lecturer on Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Department of Global Health and Population, is one of the primary developers of Oral Rehydration Therapy
Science to the People: The Development and Dissemination of ORT to the Community
- 50 years ago, dehydration used to be a leading cause of death for young children (30%, 4 million)
- Dehydration was caused by diseases like cholera, which caused diarrhea --> loss of fluids
- People couldn't get IV's in developing countries --> lots of deaths
- Solution had to be:
Cheap
Easy to use
Effective
Acceptable
- A mix of isotonic salt and glucose maintained hydration
- A mix called Oral Rehydration Therapy
It consisted of a mix of water and various salts, sugars, and minerals
-The problem was the administration of ORT
There weren't enough doctors or nurses to do it, so mothers had to learn it
No one had a standard measuring cup or tool in rural Bangladesh
- Instructors went around to villages measuring out sizes for the mothers and teaching them how much solution to mix
- Instructors were paid based on how much the people learned
- It worked
- It is key to make change at the local level
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