Awareness of Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) among Mothers of Under-Five Children in Kamala Village, West Bengal, India

Abstract

One of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries is diarrhoea, especially in the case of under-five children (Pruss et al., 2002 and Kosek et al., 2003). Effective home management of acute childhood diarrhoea with oral rehydration salt (ORS) is the immediate and best applicable step under the local circumstances to minimize the morbidity and mortality associated with it, as prevention of diarrhoeal diseases are mostly long-term socio-economic development goals. The overall aim of the present study was to assess the awareness of ORS in order to compensate the dehydration associated with childhood diarrhoea among mothers of under five years old children in Kamala village, West Bengal, India. This in turn would evaluate the effectiveness of relevant national health promotion programmes in specific application to an average Indian society.