Resource Library

The Private Sector Market for Diarrhea Treatment in India

Improving use of zinc and ORS for treatment of childhood diarrhea presents a significant opportunity to accelerate the reduction of child mortality in India in support of the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 4 and to expand the value of the ORS and zinc market. This assessment…

Symptom-specific care-seeking behavior for sick neonates among urban poor in Lucknow, Northern India

To assess symptom-specific care-seeking practices for newborns and behavioral factors associated with them to inform strategies to enhance newborn care seeking in urban Lucknow, Northern India. This was a prospective follow-up study of consecutive 326 neonates delivered at an urban reproductive…

Community Case Management of Childhood Diarrhea in a Setting with Declining Use of Oral Rehydration Therapy: Findings from Cross-Sectional Studies among Primary Household Caregivers, Kenya, 2007

We sought to determine factors associated with appropriate diarrhea case management in Kenya. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of caregivers of children < 5 years of age with diarrhea in rural Asembo and urban Kibera. In Asembo, 61% of respondents provided oral rehydration therapy (ORT…

Health Seeking Behaviour of Mothers of Under-Five-Year-Old Children in the Slum Communities of Nairobi, Kenya

Prompt and appropriate health seeking is critical in the management of childhood illnesses. This paper examines the health seeking behaviour in under-five child morbidity. It explores in detail actions taken by 28 mothers when their children become sick. Sixty-two in-depth interviews with…

Community understanding of pneumonia in Kenya

Effective management of pneumonia demands active participation by the caretaker to facilitate early seeking of appropriate health care and adequate compliance to home care messages. This would only be possible if the caretakers’ perception of pneumonia is appropriate. This study aims to…

Mother's health seeking behaviour during child illness in a rural western Kenya community

In most developing countries, the health of the children is strongly dependant on maternal healthcare behaviour. The study describes the prevalence of illness among preschool children in a rural sugarcane growing community and the mother’s health seeking behavior.

The objectives of the…

Who is to blame? Perspectives of caregivers on barriers to accessing healthcare for the under-fives in Butere District, Western Kenya

Kenya, like many developing nations, continues to experience high childhood mortality in spite of the many efforts put in place by governments and international bodies to curb it. This study sought to investigate the barriers to accessing healthcare services for children aged less than five…

Home management of diarrhea among underfives in a rural community in Kenya: household perceptions and practices

Diarrheal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among under-fives especially in rural and peri-urban communities in developing countries. Home management of diarrhea is one of the key household practices targeted for enhancement in the Community Integrated Management of Childhood…

Madagascar ORS Case Study

In 2009, the ORS coverage in Madagascar was less than half the global average at 16.9%.  This case study examines the context within which ORS use was promoted in Madagascar looking at several factors:  product, marketing, provider training, supply and financing.  The case study articulated the…

Malawi ORS Case Study

Under five mortality in Malawi has been falling steadily since the mid 1950s (when it was 366 per thousand live births).  ORS took off much earlier in Malawi than in other countries so current use rates are much higher.  Zinc has only just been introduced into national programs and has limited…