59. Massoud, R. Appraisal of Policies and Practices in the Management of Diarrhea among Children under Five Years of Age in Major Palestinian Health Care Providers. Jerusalem: UNICEF, West Bank and Gaza Strip, 1995: 18 pp.

This report presents the results of a rapid appraisal of policies and practices in the management of child diarrhea in eight major Palestinian health institutions, on both the primary and secondary levels. Results indicate that policies in this regard exist and are based at least partially on the WHO clinical guidelines. However, many practices were found to be not compatible with such guidelines. The weakest areas identified were health education, diarrhea prevention, feeding during a diarrhea episode and re-hydration. The study concludes the need for developing nationally endorsed guidelines for the management of diarrhea based on the WHO guidelines. This should include proper training of health practitioners. The author suggests developing a health education campaign using mass media communications and health education materials.