DKT Ethiopia introduces LemLem Plus

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17 October 2013. DKT Ethiopia and Micronutrient Initiative under the leadership and in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, Maternal and Child Health Directorate and Nutrition Sections launched LemLem Plus, a combination of Lo-ORS and Zinc through social marketing, that treaties childhood diarrhea, leading cause of illness and child mortality in Ethiopia. This simple and cost-effective solution that reduces the duration and severity of diarrhea, helping children resist subsequent episodes of diarrhoea for up to 2-3 months, and can save lives.

This efficient and cost-effective intervention is implemented through a collaborative effort between DKT/Ethiopia and Micronutrient Initiative (MI), with a joint financial support from CIDA and TECK  Resources. The proposed budget for the project is USD$1,670,000. Both MI and DKT/Ethiopia contribute towards achieving the stated objective. Accordingly, MI (through financial support from CIDA and TECK Resources) will provide CAD 1.385,000 while DKT/Ethiopia contributes  USD285,000.This is a flagship partnership between the public and private sectors to ensure that the demand, access and proper utilization of LemLem Plus is guaranteed in the clinical management of diarrhea.

It will facilitate the cost-effective means of making the treatment widely available through a social marketing mechanism while at the same time the supply of the formulations is sustained by the involvement of the private sector with a cost recovery mechanism.

LemLem Plus, the DKT Zinc + ORS social marketing intervention is based on the findings of recently conducted formative research on knowledge, attitude and practices of mothers/care givers, health  providers and decision makers at different levels of the health system.

The overall goal of the proposed social marketing intervention is to decrease 0-59m under five mortality due to diarrheaby increasing the number of diarrheacases treated with Zinc and Lo-ORS. More specifically, it is aimed at influencing mothers’ prompt care seeking behavior, empower mothers to effectively treat diarrheaat home and encourage them to adhere to full course treatment even if diarrheastops. It also aims to increase the skill of health providers in improving clinical management of acute diarrheathrough co-administration of Low Osmolarity ORS and Zinc, avoid irrational use of antibiotics and provide effective counselling that aid mothers’ to effectively treat diarrheaat home.

The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) of 2011 indicates that diarrheais the most common among children aged 6-23 months and is a leading cause of child morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization recommends that treating this aliment with Zinc supplements and ORS as the best remedy. ORS is vital to prevent and treat dehydration while Zinc helps to decrease the duration and severity of the diarrhea. This combined supplement improves the overall health,  growth and appetite of infants.

LemLemPlus will be marketed and distributed by DKT/Ethiopia which has a proven and effective social marketing experience in Ethiopia for more than two decades. DKT/Ethiopia will use its unparalleled access to pharmaceutical outlets
and private and NGO clinics to reach the entire countryThis project is part of the Zinc Alliance for Child Health (ZACH) project in launched in February 2012, by the Federal Ministry of Health withpartners:Micronutrient Initiative, the Government of Canada and private sector partner TECK with and investment of CAD3.5 millionto support the National Child Survival Strategy.

The project is focused on increasing awareness of diarrheaas a serious childhood illness, as well as increasing the demand for Zinc and ORS as the treatment of choice for childhood diarrhea. ZACHEthiopia will scale up the use of Zinc supplementation and Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) to treat diarrhea across the country, with the goal of treating1.5 million cases by 2015.

The introduction of the new LemLem Plus kit containing ORS formulation and Zinc tablets as a
supplementary treatment will further reduce the mortality of children under the age of five due to
diarrhea. This will put Ethiopia in a better position to achieve the Millennium Development Goal
(MDG) 4 which aims at reducing the rate of child mortality significantly by 2015.

About the Micronutrient Initiative

The Micronutrient Initiative is an Ottawa-based, international not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that the world’s most vulnerable – especially women and children – in developing countries get the vitamins and minerals they need to survive and thrive through supplementation and food fortification programs. Its mission is to be a global leader in advancing integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies through advocacy, technical and programmatic support, in collaboration with others. With Canadian support, the organization is saving and improving the lives of 500 million people annually in more than 70 countries with its child survival, child health, growth and development and women’s and newborn survival and health programs.

About DKT Ethiopia

DKT Ethiopia has more than two decades of effective social marketing experience in Ethiopia since.
It brings unparalleled expertise in the area of product foresting, registration, procurement, and
importation of essential reproductive health (RH) and maternal health commodities with a well
established distribution system in Ethiopia.

About the Canadian International Development Agency

The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is Canada’s lead agency for development
assistance. CIDA’s aim is to manage Canada’s support and resources effectively and accountably to
achieve meaningful, sustainable results. It also engages in policy development in Canada and
internationally, enabling Canada’s effort to realize its development objectives.