Treat diarrhoea with oral rehydration salts
On an estate with stored water and composting toilets, diarrhoea is one of the most likely serious illnesses. Dehydration is what makes it dangerous, and it can be treated at home early.
How
- Stock oral rehydration salts (ORS) sachets. Mix each sachet exactly as its packet says; WHO-formula sachets take 1 sachet in 1 litre of safe water, but many pharmacy brands use 200 mL.
- Plain water alone is not enough for someone who is dehydrated (WHO).
- If you have no sachets, WHO gives a home recipe. Mix half a teaspoon of salt and six teaspoons of sugar in one litre of safe drinking water.
- Start ORS straight away, then seek care. Danger signs are confusion or drowsiness, muscle cramps, weakness (cannot sit up unaided) and dizziness.
- Give the sick person their own toilet where possible, and wash hands after every visit (medical-16, sanitation-23).
- Babies, older adults and anyone with danger signs need urgent care. If no help can reach you: follow your no-help plan (medical-33).
- For hand washing, safe disposal of waste and the household hygiene routine during an outage, see sanitation-26.
Safety: Use safe (treated) water to mix ORS. Mix sachets exactly as the packet says.
Do these first
Sources
- Key messages on cholera (poster). World Health Organization (hosted by MIMU), accessed 2026-11