Union Health Minister JP Nadda stated on Tuesday that Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) is a cost-effective and efficient medical treatment for dehydration and diarrhea.

Every year on July 29, we commemorate World ORS Day to increase awareness of the value of oral rehydration salts (ORS) in treating dehydration brought on by diarrhea and other illnesses.

In a post on social networking site X, Nadda stated, “Today, we observe World ORS Day to highlight the importance of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) as an affordable and effective healthcare solution for treating dehydration and diarrhea.”

“ORS is a straightforward yet effective treatment for dehydration, which can be fatal, particularly in small infants.

In order to guarantee that everyone has access to this vital medicine, which could save millions of lives, the Union Minister stated that the day’s goal is to increase public awareness of it.

In many underdeveloped nations, acute diarrheal illnesses rank among the top causes of death for newborns and young children. In most cases, death is caused by dehydration.

In all age groups, dehydration from diarrhea can be efficiently and economically treated, or it can be avoided by providing more fluids at home. The WHO Diarrheal Diseases Control (CDD) Program recommends that patients with severe instances be given a sufficient glucose-electrolyte solution, or ORS.

To avoid dehydration and diarrhea, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) recommends that children receive zinc and ORS on time. Every health center offers it for free as well.

To address the enduring problem of childhood diarrhea and work toward zero child fatalities, the MoHFW renamed its long-running Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) as the STOP Diarrhoea Campaign in 2024.

The program, which started in 2014, aims to increase the usage of zinc and ORS while also strengthening the Prevent, Protect, and Treat (PPT) approach.

The effort sought to improve nutritional programs, increase access to clean water and sanitation, promote hygiene education, and fortify health infrastructure.