USAID And ICICI Launch US $ 1 Million Campaign To Prevent Childhood Diarrhoea Deaths

April 16, 2002

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and ICICI today launched a new US $ one million communications and marketing campaign in north India to raise awareness and use of WHO-Oral Re-hydration Salts (ORS) for preventing childhood diarrhea deaths. The campaign is endorsed by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), the apex body for guiding and guarding child health in India.

The campaign will focus on urban Bihar, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh which have high child mortality and represent 44% of the ORS market. Its program includes promotional and public relations activities, TV spots, awareness building and training of over 50,000 chemists and doctors to encourage them to prescribe only the WHO recommended brands - Electrobion, TTK ORS, Walyte-P, Coslyte, Relyte, Punjaral and Ricetral.

Every year, diarrhea kills about 600,000 children under the age of five in India. Most of these deaths could be prevented if the WHO-ORS was given as soon as diarrhea started. This is a carefully balanced electrolyte solution of glucose, potassium and sodium that has been scientifically proven to give better re-hydration. Over 83 % of ORS products currently sold in the market are not within the WHO's recommended range of composition. Due to a lack of awareness, many doctors do not prescribe these or any other ORS, thus putting their patients at risk of dehydration leading to death.

A campaign logo has been developed along with a slogan: "WHO recommended ORS - Dast ka pehla upaay, doctor ki yahi raay." During the rollout (April to September is peak diarrhea season in the country), the campaign will demonstrate how to properly mix the WHO-ORS powder with water and also encourage continued breast-feeding to prevent malnutrition in children.

Six pharmaceutical manufacturers CFL, Pharma, FDC, TTK Healthcare, Shreya Life Sciences and Wallace Pharma will join in the campaign and promote their products to pediatricians, general practitioners and chemists. The campaign logo will appear on all their products and promotional materials. Priced between Rs. 2 and 12, these products come in convenient and easy to mix sachets and packs in two sizes - 200 ml and 1 litre.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi today, Joint Secretary, Department of Health, Mr Gautam Basu pledged support to the new campaign and said: " We need to adopt an integrated approach to our outreach activities. The days of a single campaign are over. When health workers and NGOs go out with polio drops and Vitamin A supplements, they should also carry WHO-ORS." He added : " Co-operation with ICICI is a landmark development for this program. They should persuade other stakeholders from the corporate sector to come forward."

Elaborating on ICICI's involvement, Executive Director, Subrata Mukherji said: "ICICI is conducting the WHO-ORS campaign as part of its commitment to use the power of industry to assist with national health goals. Our Program for Advancement for Commercial Technologies - Child and Reproductive Health (PACT-CRH) seeks to expand access to quality reproductive and child health products and services through the private sector."

The President of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), Dr Dilip Mukherjee said: "IAP has already trained 8,000 doctors and general physicians. As a result of this campaign, we aim to increase use of WHO-ORS from 27% to 75%".