Child Killer Under Attack (Press, 9 July 1983)

An international research centre in Bangladesh has made significant progress in developing a new treatment for diarrhoea, a disease responsible for the deaths of five million children annually. Dr William Greenough, the director of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, announced that they are testing an innovative form of "oral rehydration therapy." The critical aspect of this treatment is to address the loss of body fluids, which is often fatal. The centre has successfully created a home-made solution consisting of water, sugar, and salt that mothers can administer to their children. The new approach integrates rice and other cereals, which not only aid in replenishing essential body fluids and salts during severe diarrhoeal episodes but also enhance the nutritional status of the patients. This treatment has also shown promise for individuals suffering from A.I.D.S. who are afflicted by internal parasites. Dr Greenough shared insights with reporters at the United Nations, highlighting that shortly after returning to the United States, he received a call from a doctor in Boston regarding an A.I.D.S. patient experiencing a severe form of parasitic diarrhoea known as cryptosporidiosis. This particular illness has raised alarms in the U.S., having appeared in a limited number of A.I.D.S. cases without any known cure. The Boston patient, who identifies as homosexual, is undergoing a variety of therapies, including a mixture of baby’s rice cereal and bananas referred to as his “Bangladesh diet,” alongside opium to counteract diarrhoea. A.I.D.S. specialists are attempting to manage the fluid loss for this patient using the same basic dietary approach applied to famine and dysentery sufferers in Bangladesh. Dr Greenough pointed out that initially, the patient was only receiving intravenous fluids but lacked proper nutrition. He recommended that the patient start consuming what he describes as “the rice solutions.” Dr Greenough stressed that the natural starch found in cereals, which converts into sugar during digestion, is preferable to standard sugar-water solutions because it is less likely to provoke vomiting. He proclaimed that Bangladesh is a leader in the advancement and application of oral rehydration therapy, with their methods increasingly adopted worldwide. Many individuals afflicted by diarrhoeal diseases in underdeveloped regions often reside in poor rural areas with inadequate sanitation and contaminated water sources, hindering timely access to hospital care to save lives.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand