Brazilian popular healers as effective promoters of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) and related child survival strategies
Nations, M.K.; de Sousa, M.A.; Correia, L.L.; da Silva, D.M.
Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization 22(4): 335-354
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0085-4638 PMID: 3242735 Document Number: 358001
To promote the use of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) against childhood diarrhoea 46 popular healers in a community in Northeast Brazil were trained in the preparation of homemade oral rehydration salts and critical child survival strategies. A mixture of oral rehydration solution and local medicinal tea was devised, and this combination, together with other appropriate features of the therapy, was integrated into the healer's rituals. In general the impact of this programme on public awareness and use of ORT compares favourably to that achieved by many official medical ORT programmes in other areas. The approach of skillfully integrating ORT and other child survival strategies into popular medicine is one that appears effective for Northeast Brazil and quite possibly also for other areas in developing countries.