MARCH 13, 2024

ORS Could Save 500,000 Children's Lives Annually in Developing Nations But is Underprescribed

Many healthcare providers in developing countries know that oral rehydration salts (ORS) are a lifesaving and inexpensive treatment for diarrheal disease, a leading cause of death for children worldwide—yet few prescribe it because they don’t think patients or their parents want it.

A new study suggests that closing the knowledge gap between what treatments healthcare providers think patients want and what treatments patients really want could help save half a million lives per year