'Diarrhoea claims 2 million lives annually'
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 23 2013:
Head of Paediatrics Department, JNIMS Prof Ksh Chourjit has stated that diarrhoea alone claims lives of two million people annually in the world.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of ORS Week Celebration-2013 organized by Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Manipur State Branch under the theme of "ORS-Strategies to Change Behaviours in the Community" at JNIMS Hospital, Porompat here today.
He further said that children in the age group of three months to two years mostly suffer from diarrhoeal disease.
The objective of organizing the ORS Week is to impart the message that Oral Rehydration Solution is the best and most affordable medicine to treat children suffering from diarrhoea.
The World Health Organisation launched oral rehydration therapy (ORT) with home fluids and ORS in the 1980s.This reduced mortality due to diarrhoea by as much as 50% .
So, ORS is widely described as the "most important medical advance of the century." ORS is inexpensive, easily available and easy to use, Dr Chourjit noted.
The inaugural function was also attended by Director of JNIMS Prof L Chandramani, President of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Manipur State Branch Prof L Ranbir and Secretary of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Manipur State Branch Dr H Jasobanta.