InfoAnda - Poor man's Gatorade saves Bangladeshi kids

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Iran briefly detains son of opposition leader: report | | 29 January 2011
Gay honor killing movie shakes Turkey up | | 20 January 2012
Taiwan president to run for party chairman | 10 June 2009

Yup! Yelp to go public | 18 November 2011

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Poor man's Gatorade saves Bangladeshi kids

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Australia China India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Philippines Thailand Vietnam Poor man's Gatorade saves Bangladeshi kids By MARGIE MASON,AP Medical Writer - 2 hours 37 minutes ago Send IM Story Print BORUNGO KHOLA, Bangladesh – A pinch of salt. A fistful of sugar. A half liter of water. It's a recipe 8-year-old Meem Akter recites easily while squeezing and scooping her tiny fingers through the air with precision, pretending to measure just the right amount of each ingredient. "You take the salt with three fingers," says the little girl in a pink- and blue-ruffled dress, smiling shyly. "I learned it in school last year." Over the past 30 years, this simple 'poor man's Gatorade' has become a cheap, trusted home remedy passed down to generations of Bangladeshi moms nationwide. It is bought or whipped up and sipped down at the first sign of diarrhea to stave off dehydration, which can drain a weak child of life in just hours. Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries, is a leader in the fight against diarrhea, which is the number two killer of children under age 5 worldwide after pneumonia. Diarrhea claims 1.5 million kids annually _ more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined _ and the United Nations has projected the number of deaths will rise by 10 percent each year over the next decade. "When I talk to people in developed countries about diarrhea, they don't believe me when I tell them it's killing children," says Dr. Olivier Fontaine, a diarrhea expert at the World Health Organization in Geneva. "We have the magic bullets, and now we need to apply them to make sure every kid has access. What we need is money to implement what we have seen in Bangladesh." ____ A pinch of salt. A fistful of sugar. A half liter of water. Rahima Begum, 45, was among the first to teach the homemade recipe to mothers 26 years ago in Borungo Khola village, a bucolic farming community down a dirt road about 40 kilometers outside the capital, where little Akter is a neighbor. It was a time when parents had no idea what to do when diarrhea struck. If there was no hospital nearby, many kids simply died. "Spreading the message is very important," Begum says. "We didn't know it, but now we do. Maybe people from Bangladesh can teach this to other countries." At first glance, the country would appear to be an unlikely instructor. Bangladesh is a young democracy plagued by corruption and natural disasters, where nearly half the population lives on less than $1 a day. Yet the Muslim nation has vast experience beating back diarrhea tied to annual monsoon flooding, unclean drinking water and poor sanitation. Over the past two decades, its overall child death rate has dropped threefold to 5 percent today. Bangladesh is the birthplace of ORS, the lifesaving oral rehydration salt-sugar solution. Today, the concoction is so woven into the culture that it's not only mixed up or purchased for pennies to treat diarrhea and tummy aches, but guzzled by children and adults alike after working or playing outside in the sweltering heat. Bangladesh is also home to the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, which treats more than 100,000 patients a year at its hospital filled with hundreds of brightly colored diarrhea cots with holes in the middle opening to clear buckets beneath. Some 27,000 health workers have trained here from about 70 countries, and WHO regularly calls on its experts to assist with global outbreaks of cholera, a fast-spreading watery diarrhea. "Almost everybody starts rehydration at home," says Cathrine Costa, a nurse at the hospital where mothers, rich and poor, sit beside one another in open wards shoveling spoonfuls of a special rice gruel into the mouths of bare-bottomed babies, many malnourished. "If they don't, the dehydration is much, much worse." Oral rehydration solution was first tested in the late 1960s in East Pakistan, which would later become Bangladesh. But the real experiment came in 1971 during a cholera outbreak in the refugee camps of West Bengal, India, which were crammed with families who had fled the war between East and West Pakistan. With a scarce supply of intravenous drips, doctors proved that by drinking the formula, the death rate could be reduced to less than 5 percent. "These people were not getting drugs. They were not getting IVs. They were dying," recalls Dr. Richard Cash, a Harvard University professor who conducted the first ORS clinical trials at the diarrheal research center. "We were not looking at failure. We were looking at measures of success." Diarrhea is caused by viruses, parasites, bacteria and toxins. Rotavirus, spread through contaminated hands and surfaces, is the most common cause of diarrhea, killing half a million children annually. A vaccine is now available in the West, where the disease is a mere irritation, but it will not reach the poor for several years. Measles is another vaccine-preventable disease that causes severe diarrheal deaths. The ORS solution helps the gut absorb fluids and electrolytes that are rapidly being purged, bringing life back to children's sunken eyes and dehydrated skin. The recent addition of zinc further decreases the length and severity of the attack. Breast-feeding and continuous eating are also encouraged. The Bangladesh discovery was hailed by The Lancet medical journal three decades ago as "potentially the most important medical discovery of the 20th century." Some 800 million ORS packets are produced worldwide today, saving more than an estimated 50 million lives. "You have a child that's almost dead, you give them ORS and within a few hours they are running all over the place. It's really a miracle," says WHO's Fontaine. "We don't find anyone who would come as a champion for diarrhea. Many people are willing to go on TV and talk about AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria but when it comes to diarrhea, no one is interested." ____ A pinch of salt. A fistful of sugar. A half liter of water. Today Bangladesh has one of world's highest ORS packet usage rates, with nearly 70 percent of children drinking the solution during diarrhea. Yet WHO estimates the disease still kills more than 50,000 kids in Bangladesh annually, where ORS still does not reach everyone and malnutrition is rampant. Globally, about 60 percent of children do not have access to the formula. And in countries, mainly in Africa, where bouts of diarrhea are common, that rate is even lower. Last year, Zimbabwe experienced Africa's worst cholera outbreak in 15 years, killing more than 4,000 people. It's a statistic that makes Fazle Hasan Abed cringe. As founder of Dhaka-based BRAC, one of the world's largest non-governmental aid organizations, Abed trained a small army of women to spread the ORS recipe to millions of households across Bangladesh in the 1980s. "I know of nobody else who's tried to do this. Everybody came here and looked at the problem, and it was mind boggling for them to think that one could go to every household and do it," says Abed, who was recently knighted in England for his development work. "I think this could have a similar kind of impact in Africa." He says the method of teaching mothers about ORS could be tried in a country like Uganda, where his organization already has a presence. But he adds that Bangladesh does have some advantages. Roughly the size of Iowa, the low-lying nation is one of the world's most densely populated countries _ crammed with about 150 million people, or half of the entire U.S. population. That makes the task of spreading a message from community to community easier and cheaper as opposed to reaching sparse, spread-out villages dotting many African countries. Another obstacle in Africa to the community-based approach is the belief in some places that only health workers can provide medical care. WHO is working to distribute packets of ORS to every market in Tanzania, as is done in countries such as Mexico. In many cases, the sachets are cheaper than coveted sugar in African countries, making the pre-made pouches a smarter choice than the homemade sugar-salt solutions, which can kill children if too much salt is given. In Bangladesh, mothers were taught that the oral formula was not a cure, and if a child continued to suffer severe diarrhea after a day of drinking the ORS, a trip to the hospital was urgent. It's a message that has been retained and transferred to even the youngest members of the village, where the sugary drink is lapped up like Kool-Aid. "My 7-year-old little boy was sick with diarrhea one month ago," says Taslima Akter, 28, who demonstrated how to make ORS in Borungo Khola village, where three generations know how. "I mixed it up at home. It was not serious, just one day. I used to take it when I was a kid." ____ http://www.icddrb.org/index.cfm http://www.brac.net/ Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Thai PM talks tough, "red shirts" refuse to give in Reuters - 51 minutes ago Japan PM to meet mayors of proposed site for US base AFP - 53 minutes ago S.Korea minister vows retaliation over sunk warship AFP - 1 hour 32 minutes ago Maoist strike shuts down Nepal; gov't urges talks AP - 1 hour 39 minutes ago Australian racer McFarlane dies in crash AFP - 1 hour 46 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Eurozone set to endorse Greek bailout plan Sunday Weather hampers oil spill efforts in Gulf of Mexico Obama jokes about his ratings and nationality Greek crisis to dominate ECB Lisbon meeting: analysts US oil production, shipping unaffected by spill so far More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Lady Gaga, Bill Clinton, Lula top Time's influence list Australia plans world-first plain cigarette packets Obama says US economic heartbeat 'growing stronger' Spain jobless rate tops 20%, adding to debt worries Weather hampers oil spill efforts in Gulf of Mexico More Most Viewed » Aliens may exist but contact would hurt: Hawking Apple engineer loses iPhone prototype French driving veil row escalates Airlines want compensation as Europe's skies reopen More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos World Cup 2010 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Sunday, 2 May 2010
Arab League gives backing to indirect Mideast talks
EU sugar companies big winners from CAP subsidies
Bolivia nationalizes electricity companies
Governments, businesses to discuss cybersecurity threats
Fresh poll blow to British PM as papers turn against him
Hundreds gather for US May Day immigration protests
Soldiers kidnapped in south Yemen, U.S. embassy warns staff |
South Africa's Zuma promises laws curbing casual labor |
Papal envoy to run scandal-plagued priestly order |
Syria warns U.S. on accepting Israel scud claims |
Nepal Maoist leader calls strike at anti-govt protest
US Army captain becomes king in Afghanistan
Chinese city goes on defense after school attack
May Day protestors rally across Asia
Suicide bomber in Pakistan's Swat kills 5
Taiwan China flight diverted after explosive claim
Maoists rally in Nepal, announce general strike
Arab League backs resumption of Middle East talks
Eurozone set to endorse Greek bailout plan Sunday
Thai PM talks tough, red shirts refuse to give in |
Privacy vs profit at Facebook
Arab League backs resumption of Middle East talks |
Deadly blast overshadows Russia's May Day events
Weather hampers oil spill efforts in Gulf of Mexico
Spain April unemployment fall leaked to press |
Obama jokes about his ratings and nationality
Colombian rebels kill five soldiers in coca field |
Greek crisis to dominate ECB Lisbon meeting: analysts
US oil production, shipping unaffected by spill so far
Japan PM to meet mayors of proposed site for US base
NY car bomb threatened 'very deadly event': officials
S.Korea minister vows retaliation over sunk warship
Maoist strike shuts down Nepal; gov't urges talks
NY's Times Square evacuated in car bomb scare
Australian racer McFarlane dies in crash
Mass. water main break affects Boston, suburbs
NY's Times Square evacuated in bomb scare
Thai premier says no plans for martial law
Ark. tornadoes kill woman, gov declares emergency
Poor man's Gatorade saves Bangladeshi kids
Anger over Ariz. immigration law drives US rallies
Myanmar's junta prepares ground for elections
Ancient treasures set for auction in Indonesia
China steps up security at schools after attacks
Obama to visit U.S. Gulf as oil slick threatens
Shanghai Expo giant opportunity for big business
U.S. Hispanics decry Arizona law at May Day rallies
India weighs capital controls with rupee on rise
Spielberg, Scorsese call for release of Iran film-maker
China's cinemas set for record box office in 2010
Heavy metal dinosaurs rock the kiddie crowd in Finland
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Tourists in Copenhagen lament loss of Little Mermaid
Spielberg, Scorsese call for release of Iran film-maker
Shroud of Turin 'mirrors' human suffering: pope
Factbox: Turkey's constitutional reform
Palestinian leader says to meet Obama in Washington
Magnitude 5.8 quake hits Chile, no damage reported |
Greece agrees painful cuts in return for bailout
Police open fire in Darfur investment protest -witnesses
Police open fire in Darfur investment protest: witnesses |
Baghdad cafe waitresses break down barriers
New York police foil Times Square car bombing
Iran says develops short-range missile defense |
One dead, 80 hurt in Iraq bus bombing
Greece secures unprecedented bailout: PM
Threatening Note Found On Philadelphia-Bound Plane
UK election gets personal |
Police Kill Charging Bull On Texas Interstate
Pakistani jets target Taliban positions, kill 19 |
Illinois Congressman Arrested During Arizona Immigration Law Protest
Storms kill 15 Bangladeshis, thousands homeless |
Authorities Start Man-Hunt In Attempted New York City Carbombing
NY City Dodges A Bullet After Car Bomb Found In New York's Times Square
Palestinian leader says to meet Obama in Washington |
Somali insurgents seize pirate haven |
U.N. says investigating LRA massacre of 100 in Congo |
Bangladesh sentences 9 border guards for mutiny
Thai cabinet holds emergency meeting on crisis
Iran to propose reforms at US nuclear talks
Thai premier says no plans for martial law
Israeli, Palestinian talks 'within days'
Car bombing foiled in New York's Times Square
Afghan civilian deaths are rising, government says
5 killed in heavy flooding across Tennessee
Maoist strike shuts down Nepal; gov't urges talks
Car bomb scares Times Square, but fails to explode
Obama to visit scene of US oil spill
New Delhi on alert as embassies warn of attack
Small fire spreads smoke at US Embassy in Pakistan
Officials: At least 5 dead in Tenn. flooding
Thai PM talks tough, "red shirts" refuse to give in
China raises bank reserve ratio to rein in lending
US-Taiwanese man held after bomb hoax on plane
Shroud of Turin 'mirrors' human suffering: pope
'Demjanjuk: a Holocaust cabaret' hits German stage
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01