USAID, ICICI Bank Organize Health Run in 33 Indian Cities to Mark National Oral Rehydration Salts Day

July 27, 2007

NEW DELHI –Thousands of Indians in 33 cities across India will participate in the National Oral Rehydration Salts Day Health Run organized by the U.S. Agency for International Development on July 27-28.

The annual health run promotes awareness about the use of oral rehydration salts as a remedy for treating Indian children dying from diarrhea every year. This year’s run will take place in several cities in Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Managed by USAID’s partner ICICI Bank, run participants will include television stars, political leaders, school students, doctors, chemists, National Cadet Corps, military and police establishments and sports academies.

Dr. Massee Bateman, acting director for USAID’s Office of Population, Health and Nutrition said, “Diarrhea remains one of the largest causes of childhood mortality in India and a major contributor to malnutrition. We have been working to create awareness about diarrhea management and prevention, specifically on use of World Health Organization recommended formulation of ORS and zinc in order to improve the health status of children in India.”

In addition to the run, USAID and its partners also organized workshops in Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Moradabad and Allahabad on “Management of Diarrhea: Role of Oral Rehydration Salts and Zinc” to inform doctors about recent trends in diarrhea management.