Providing training on the power of zinc to save children’s lives in Bangladesh

Family Welfare Assistant Gita Rani, along with her colleagues at the Dhalhara Community Clinic in Bangladesh, had been sharing health messages about diarrhea management, hygiene promotion and nutrition in the community. Their efforts were making a difference, as deaths due to diarrhea decreased, especially among children under 5, but rates began to stagnate as oral rehydration salts alone were not sufficient to treat, contain and cure the high number of diarrhea cases in the country

The game changer ended up being zinc supplements. Zinc helps children recover from diarrhea faster, resist the disease for longer periods and have fewer episodes each year. To support the Bangladeshi government’s effort to monitor and supervise zinc delivery, Nutrition International trained health workers in 14 districts on the latest strategies for managing diarrhea. This training helped health-care workers realize zinc’s potential as a life-saving micronutrient.