Zinc treatment reduces diarrhoea by 50 per cent: Saves lives of 75,000 children in Bangladesh a year

Zinc treatment can exclusively save the lives of about 30,000-75,000 children in Bangladesh, while 4,00,000 worldwide every year.

This was disclosed at an international conference titled 'Scaling Up Zinc: The Way Forward' held at the Sasakawa Auditorium of ICDDR,B in the city yesterday.

ICDDR,B organised the conference in collaboration with the Directorate General of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to highlight the importance of zinc in reducing child death as a treatment of childhood diarrhoea.

The conference was informed that Zinc reduces the length and severity of diarrhoea and ensures quicker recovery as it boosts a child's immune system. It makes future episodes of diarrhoea less likely for at least three months following treatment.

It was told at the conference that Zinc tablet, which is now available in the market, should be given along with Orsaline if any child aged between six months and five years are attacked by diarrhoea. But, it should be remembered that only Zinc tablets should not be given without Orsaline. If the child recovers from diarrhoea, full course of Zinc tablets should have to be completed.

It is easy to give Zinc tablet to diarrhoea affected children. If one Baby Zinc tablet is kept in a tablespoonful water, it dissolves quickly which children can swallow easily.

Health Adviser Major General (Retd) Dr ASM Matiur Rahman inaugurated the two-day international conference.

Executive Director of ICDDR,B Dr David A Sack, National Professor Dr MR Khan and Director General of Directorate General of Health Services Dr M Shahjahan Biswas addressed the inaugural session as special guests.

The Adviser said the Health Ministry has had concrete working relations with the ICDDR,B for many years and is continuing support to its activities.

"One example of this collaboration is the successful introduction of the newly formulated hypo-osmolar Oral Rehydration Solution in Bangladesh, which is having a significant impact on reducing child mortality, not only in our country, but also across the globe," he said.

Considering the importance of zinc treatment for childhooddiarrhoea, the Health Ministry revised its policy guidelines and has included zinc treatment as the second golden rule, right after ORS, he added.

If successfully scaled up, the adviser said, this would substantially contribute towards the achievement of the Millennium Development

Goal-4 that aims at reducing child (under five) mortality by two-thirds by 2015. "Bangladesh is committed to achieving this goal," he said.

Representatives from the Health Ministries of Bangladesh, Tanzania, Kenya and India, the International Rescue Committee, John Hopkins School of Public Health/USA, international and national NGOs, Institute for Child and Mother Health and ICDDR,B are taking part in the conference, which concludes today.