Childhood Diarrhoea Control Campaign, 2014
Government of West Bengal
Health & Family Welfare Department
Swasthya Bhavan (4th floor) Wing – B
GN-29, Sector V, Salt Lake City, Kolkata – 700 091
Memo No. H/SFWB/12I-01-2014/2803 Dated: 05.05.2014
To
The Chief Medical Officer of Health
(All District)
Sub: Implementing Childhood Diarrhoea Control Campaign in 2014.
Reduction of Childhood mortality is one of the prime goals of National Health Mission and Millennium Development Goals. Childhood diarrhoeal diseases continue to be a major killer among under five children, contributing to 11 percent of under five deaths in the country. Around 2 lakh children are lost due to diarrhoea annually. Diarrhoeal deaths are usually clustered in summer arid monsoon months and it takes toll due to dehydration in children who are either malnourished or have poor access to health care facilities.
Almost all the deaths due to diarrhoea can be prevented and easily averted by preventing and treating dehydration through use of ORS (Oral Rehydration Therapy) and Zinc tablets and adequate nutritional intake. Most cases of childhood diarrhoea can be prevented by using safe drinking water, improved sanitation, breastfeeding and hand-washing.
The effect of diarrhoea on mortality is highest in children and thus a special campaign to prevent and control diarrhoea has been planned. GOI has decided that a Diarrhoea Campaign with the aim of reducing diarrhoeal deaths by at least 50% in the year 2014 may be undertaken in following phases:
1. Phase 1: 10th April – 30th April: Awareness generation, procurement & supplies, sensitisation of health workers and system strengthening
2. Phase 2: 1st May to 15th May: Setting up ORS corners at all Sub Centres /AWCs, distributions of ORS packets to all households with children under 5, community demonstration of preparation of ORS at VHNDs in every villages and urban communities.
3. Phase 3: 1st June to 15th June: Intensification through prophylactic distribution, treatment and management of dehydration and diarrhoea.
To emphasise, the important components of this campaign following recommendations are being made:
- Comprehensive IEC campaign for Childhood Diarrhoea
- Putting in place sufficient supplies of ORS and Zinc
- Sensitization of all health workers for management of dehydration
- Hand hygiene
- Set up ORS and Zinc distribution corners
- Community demonstration on preparing ORS at VHNDs in each village and urban community in the country should be carried out on regular basis. Prophylactic distribution.
- Involvement of Development Partners and NGOs
- Engage IAP to promote use of Zinc and ORS in treating diarrhoea and for orienting private practitioners and IAP members
- Monitor the campaign
- Report deaths due to diarrhoea
Sd/- Commissioner (FW)
& Mission Director (NHM)