Impact of a social franchising program on uptake of oral rehydration solution plus zinc for childhood diarrhea in myanmar: a community-level randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea's impact on childhood morbidity can be reduced by administering oral rehydration solution (ORS) with zinc; challenges to wider use are changing health-seeking behavior and ensuring access. METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to increase ORS plus zinc uptake in rural Myanmar. Village tracts, matched in 52 pairs, were randomized to standard ORS access vs. a social franchising program training community educators and supplying ORS plus zinc. RESULTS: Intervention and control communities were comparable on demographics, prevalence of diarrhea and previous use of ORS. One year after randomization, ORS plus zinc use was 13.7% in the most recent case of diarrhea in intervention households compared with 1.8% in control households (p < 0.001) (N = 3605). A significant increase in ORS plus zinc use was noted in the intervention (p = 0.044) but not in the control (p = 0.315) group. CONCLUSIONS: Social franchising increased optimal treatment of childhood diarrhea in rural Myanmar. Scale-up stands to reduce morbidity among children in similar settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN73606238.