:: Thanzi Oral Rehydration Salts

Thanzi means 'good health' in Chichewa.

Product Description

A prompt increase in fluid administration in conjunction with the consumption of oral rehydration salts increases the survival chances of a child with severe diarrhoea. Each Thanzi packet is designed to deal with a single episode of diarrhoea in a child, reconstituting 1000 millilitres of solution and complying with WHO specifications for ORS. A packet of Thanzi ORS retails for MK5.00 (US$0.04).

Primary Target

Children under five years of age, who are most vulnerable to dehydration brought about by severe diarrhoea.

History

• Launched in 1999 to complement the public sector provision of ORS.
• Sales in 2003 amounted to over 1.5 million units, delivering over a quarter million child years of rehydration.

Future

• The public sector has found it increasingly hard to cope with the demand for ORS, and PSI/Malawi will continue to complement its efforts, striving to place the product in nearest available outlets at affordable prices.
• More Thanzi ORS will be sold in sold in the absence of generic ORS in public hospitals and clinics.