The National Health Mission is focusing on reducing infant and child mortality, with diarrhoea being a leading cause of death among children under five years of age in India. To combat this, a special diarrhoea control fortnight will be implemented in the state from June 6 to June 21, aiming for zero child deaths due to diarrhoea.
The programme will focus on increasing the use and availability of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) and zinc tablets in households with children under five years old. It also aims to strengthen health institutions for managing pediatric patients with dehydration, including diarrhoea, and give special attention to high-risk areas such as urban slums, flood-prone regions, nomadic tribes, brick kilns, labourers, migrant workers, and homeless children.
A district-level steering committee meeting, chaired by Chief Executive Officer Ashima Mittal, was held on Friday (May 31) to discuss the management and implementation of this program. The plan includes distributing ORS and zinc tablets to every child in the age group in the district.
The Public Health Department, Women and Child Development Department, Education Department, and Water Supply Department will work in coordination to ensure the program's success. Maternal and Child Care Officer Dr Harshal Nehete emphasised the importance of explaining the use of ORS to households with children under five during the campaign. District Health Officer Dr Sudhakar More informed that ORS corners have been set up in every health institution, district hospital, primary health center, sub-center, and Arogyavardhini center for treating diarrhea.
The campaign will also include demonstrations of hand washing in schools and public awareness through posters about the stages of hand washing.
