Addition of Zinc to the Current Case Management Package of Diarrhea in a Primary Health Care Setting

Several studies have shown the beneficial effect of zinc treatment in acute diarrhea. There was a significant reduction in duration of the treated episodes and in their severity as measured by diarrheal stool output or frequency. Zinc is a potentially important immunomodulator or nutraceutical which may have great impact as therapeutic agent in conditions like diarrhea and pneumonia. The issue is whether and how zinc should be introduced in primary health care programs for treatment of acute diarrhea. A practical, sustainable intervention for introduction of zinc as treatment of acute diarrhoea in national programs is therefore required. This study aimed to address this issue.