Scaling up zinc treatment for young children with diarrhoea in Bangladesh
Diarrhoea is one of the worst diseases in developing countries, killing nearly 2 million children every year. Research has shown that zinc provides a very effective treatment for diarrhoea, especially among children under five years. Zinc treatment reduces the severity and duration of diarrhoea as well as the likelihood of future episodes of diarrhoea and the need for hospitalisation. Zinc treatment can save a child's life both as a treatment for diarrhoeal illness and by preventing future infectious illnesses.In addition, zinc treatment seems to have a positive impact on pneumonia, which is another of the most common causes of death of children living in developing nations. Therefore, zinc treatment holds tremendous potential as a global public health intervention. It has been estimated by ICDDR,B that zinc treatment could save the lives of 30,000 to 75,000 children per year in Bangladesh alone. If successful, zinc treatment may be rolled out to other countries and save many more lives. Latest research estimates that, at a global scale, zinc treatment could save the lives of almost 400,000 children each year. Why treatment?
Zinc is a micronutrient found in foods rich in protein such as red meat, poultry, nuts and dairy products and is essential for human growth and protection against illness and disease. Many people living in developing nations, such as Bangladesh, do not have access to sufficient amounts of zinc-rich foods. This results in zinc deficiency that can lead to growth failure and increased susceptibility to illness and death, especially among young children. In an ideal world, people would eat all the right food and not need additional micronutrients or vitamins. However, many people are simply too poor to buy healthy food. Many are too poor to buy any food. There is no simple solution for this. In the absence of this ideal solution, there are projects underway worldwide trying to provide zinc to people through food fortification or daily supplementation.
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