Abt's POUZN Project Publishes Report on Zinc Treatment
Abt’s POUZN team, in partnership with the Central Department of Population Studies, Centre for Population Research and Training of Tribhuvan University, recently completed a qualitative research study of diarrhea treatment practices in Nepal.
The results of the research, based on focus group sessions with caregivers from varying socio-economic subgroups and in-depth interviews with 30 pharmacists from the Kathmandu valley, will be used to inform the development of communication and marketing strategies and the design of a range of communication and educational materials and training curricula for both public and private sector health care providers and pharmacists.
Research findings were encouraging. Diarrhea symptoms and danger signs were well-understood, oral rehydration therapy and/or ORS are both commonly requested and used by caregivers and “prescribed” by pharmacists, and caregivers are amenable to using zinc as a diarrhea treatment if it proves effective. The research also identified a number of issues that will need to be addressed in both educational and promotional campaigns that will accompany the launch of the program: both caregivers and pharmacists have long associated zinc with vitamin supplements rather than as a pharmaceutical treatment for illness. The challenge will be to convey the concept of zinc as a high quality essential diarrhea treatment rather than as an “extra” or adjunct treatment or supplement.
