A new article published in Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease stated that for ORT to have a maximum impact on public health it should be used in the community, and at home. 

The authors informed that a number of programs have been developed over the years to reach ORT to home use. One of the most successful approaches was the Oral Therapy Education Program (OTEP) developed by BRAC, the world’s largest NGO. 

In this program, mothers were taught in the home by an OTEP worker using seven simple messages and a demonstration. This program led to high levels of use and knowledge retention. A local experiment indicated that a 3-finger pinch of salt and a hand scoop of raw sugar dissolved in a half a liter of water (500 cc) produced an oral solution with a sodium content of approximately 50 mEq/liter. 

This article summarized that what the OTEP and other successful home-based programs have demonstrated is that home care of diarrhea using ORS can be effectively implemented and can have a positive impact on the reduction of diarrhea morbidity and mortality. 

Source: Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2021 May 29;6(2):92. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed6020092.