Treatment patterns for childhood diarrhoea: evidence from demographic and health surveys.

Treatment patterns for childhood diarrhoea among providers in public and private settings have been examined using data from 28 surveys in the Demographic and Health Surveys programme. In the majority of surveys, at least 50% of the children with diarrhoea who sought care from a health provider (public or private) received treatment that included oral rehydration salts (ORS). Private providers are a significant source of care for children with diarrhoea, but they are less likely to use ORS and more likely to prescribe unneeded drugs than providers in public settings. In countries where data are available, bloody diarrhoea appears to be undertreated. The results indicate that national public health programmes must continue to improve their strategies to ensure correct treatment of childhood diarrhoea by all health providers.