It’s very unfortunate that diarrhea still claims the lives of many people in developing countries such as Nepal because the disease can be kept at bay by adhering to simple sanitary rules. Second, the disease isn’t life-threatening if one seeks medical help – the treatment is very, very basic – as soon as the first symptoms begin to manifest. The tendency not to seek the help of a medical practitioner until the last minute and hold back information is what compounds the problem in developing countries such as Nepal, especially its remote parts.
The failure of our authorities lies in their inability to educate our largely uneducated and uninformed populace about the disease. If people are told through various means – FM radios can be one of the most effective modes of communication in a society where most people do not know how to read and write – that diarrhea can be easily prevented and it’s cure is neither time-consuming nor expensive, it will go a long way in saving us from reaching a situation such as the one we are facing right now.
Sometimes, shortage of medicines and health professionals has been a deterrent in addressing the problem and this is something that the government must look into. Herein comes the role of INGO’s and NGO’s, which always claim that they are dedicated to promoting nothing but the best interests of the Nepali people.
All said, primarily the problem lies in our inability to disseminate information about diarrhea. Most villagers refuse to take rehydration solution such as jeevan jal because they continue to cling on to the age-old myth that it will further aggravate their loose motion.
The need of the moment is to immediately bring the existing situation under control while making preparations to prevent something similar from happening in the future. Additionally, if and when we have to tackle a similar epidemic in the future, we should be prepared to do it systematically so that people do not lose their precious lives like it has been happening every year.
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