Diarrhea Alleviation through Zinc and ORS Therapy (DAZT)
CURRENT PROJECT
The Diarrhea Alleviation through Zinc and ORS Therapy (DAZT) Project is a three-year initiative being implemented by FHI Solutions (formerly AED-ARTS) in partnership with Micronutrient Initiative, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. FHI Solutions is a sub-grantee of the US Fund for UNICEF.
Diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of illness and death among children worldwide. Zinc and oral rehydration salts (ORS) have been endorsed by the World Health Organization and UNICEF and local health authorities, as the leading treatment and preventative-tools for childhood diarrhea.
The project's primary purpose is to reduce the burden of diarrhea on child health and increase child survival in two states in India—Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The project, a follow-on to the POUZN Project, will contribute to improved child health outcomes and provide educational information for diarrhea treatment and dehydration management efforts around the world.
Strategy
The DAZT Project will deploy new and improved approaches to scale up zinc and ORS for the treatment of diarrhea through both public- and private-sector channels by:
- Creating a positive enabling policy environment and building commitment and sustainability for diarrhea management in the implementation sites
- Improving supplies to the points of care for childhood diarrhea
- Increasing awareness and demand for zinc and ORS among providers and caregivers while enhancing compliance by caregivers
Behavior Change Communications and Marketing
FHI Solutions has developed a comprehensive communications strategy, through formative research. The initial thrust of our strategy is interpersonal communication with health providers—a labor-intensive but vital step, necessary during the introduction phase of a new concept, such as zinc treatment to ensure the sustained support of the health professionals. Project team members will implement a progressive saturation campaign simultaneously reaching multiple target audiences in each of the main private sector channels providing health care to:
- Ensure that formal private health providers use ORS and zinc treatment
- Promote awareness and use of zinc treatment and ORS to informal health providers
- Promote zinc treatment and ORS to caregivers
Rapid Scale Up of Zinc and ORS
FHI Solutions ensures continuous supply of zinc and ORS to the rural areas by engaging the pharmaceutical industry in a partnership aimed at creating a sustainable market. We collaborate with our partners in identifying untapped rural medical practitioners and rural drug shops who represent the first line of health care in the rural areas. We work together to introduce the correct management of diarrhea with those health providers, then the private partners continue the regular marketing activities.
We will monitor product availability and use via market surveys and regular qualitative research with providers, chemists, and caregivers.
News, Publications, and Results
News
Publications
Contacts
| Camille Saadé Project Director 1825 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington, DC 20009 +1 (202) 884-8959 csaade@fhi360.org |
|
CD Sharma Country Director +91 98 1007 3636 csharma@fhi360.org |