Oral rehydration therapy in Malawi: impact on the severity of disease and on hospital admissions; treatment practices; and recurrent costs

In the first 2 years following refresher training of paediatric staff in oral rehydration therapy (ORT) and the establishment of an oral rehydration unit at the Kamuzu Central Hospital; Lilongwe; Malawi; there was a 50 percent decrease in the number of children admitted to the paediatric ward with the diagnosis of diarrhoeal diseases; a 56 percent decrease in the use of intravenous fluid to rehydrate such children; a threefold increase in the use of oral rehydration salts (ORS) exclusively to rehydrate children with mild or moderate dehydration; and a 39 percent decrease in the number of paediatric deaths associated with diarrhoeal diseases. Over the same period; there was a 32 percent decrease in recurrent hospital costs attributable to paediatric diarrhoeal diseases. As use of ORT continues to increase in Malawi; where diarrhoeal diseases account for 9 percent of paediatric hospital admissions; there should be considerable decreases in mortality from such diseases and concomitant increases in cost savings attributable to them

Malawi national control of diarrhoeal diseases programme

The Control of Diarrhoeal Diseases [CCD] Programme was started in 1981 and is fully integrated within the network of maternal and child health [MCH] and primary health care [PHC] infrastructure. Activities include promotion of environmental sanitation and oral rehydration therapy [ORT]

Oral rehydration therapy in Malawi: impact on hospital admissions; hospital treatment practices and severity of disease

After the first two years after refresher training of pediatric staff in oral rehydration therapy [ORT] and the establishment of an oral rehydration unit at Kamuzu Central Hospital [KCH]; Lilongwe; there was a 50 percent decrease in the number of children admitted to the pediatric ward with the diagnosis of diarrheal disease; a 56 percent decrease in the use of intravenous fluid for rehydration of children hospitalized with diarrheal disease and a 70 percent increase in the use of oral rehydration salts [ORS] exclusively to rehydrate children with mild or moderate dehydration

The impact of control of diarrhoeal diseases in Malawi

The CCD programme became fully operational in Malawi during 1985; when oral rehydration therapy units were established in all hospital out-patient departments. National hospital reporting during 1985 showed a statistically significant decrease in admissions due to diarrheal diseases nationwide probably as a result of the establishment of the ORT units