Egypt has successfully implemented a nationwide program of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) for acute diarrheal disease which should make a substantial impact on diarrhea-specific mortality. However, ORT alone cannot alleviate or prevent the malnutrition which commonly accompanies diarrhea. Traditional practices in Egypt result in food being withheld from children who have diarrhea, thus contributing to the vicious circle of diarrhea and malnutrition. Early and continued feeding of children with diarrhea has been shown to be effective when practiced; however, it requires specific efforts to educate mothers appropriately. This study was designed to address the operational problem of promoting the nutritional repletion of children with diarrhea. Specifically, the tasks were to design an appropriate and practical message for the education of mothers, to test its delivery through the existing primary health care (PHC) system, and to incorporate it into the nationwide program of diarrheal disease control. A baseline survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) of mothers and health center professionals was carried out in July 1985 in three areas of Egypt. A simple educational message was developed based on knowledge of existing practices, consistency with existing mass media messages, and the addition of a component specific to this project. The message was delivered through the PHC system for three months. No special infrastructure or training was developed; the directors of several programs in three governorates simply incorporated the message into their existing systems of information flow and training. A second KAP survey was conducted in the same centers in December 1985. The followup survey indicated several significant findings. Of mothers who had attended any PHC center in the previous three months, 78% reported that a staff member had talked to them about feeding their child during and after diarrhea. Behavioral differences were also reported. There was a statistically significant increase in the proportion who continued to give breast milk during diarrhea and a significant increase in ORT use. Health care providers in the follow-up survey reported giving more, and more appropriate, dietary advice. In conclusion, the PHC system, with no additional infrastructure, was able to successfully incorporate this educational component. The message has now been adopted by the mass media and other health education channels.