IN SHORT
- Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024 on June 24, 2024, accompanied by Union Ministers Smt. Anupriya Patel and Shri Jadhav Patraprao Ganpatrao.
- The campaign aims to achieve zero child deaths from diarrhoea by extending its duration to two months and enhancing awareness and treatment accessibility.
- Key strategies include distributing ORS and zinc packets to children under five, conducting extensive Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities, and fostering collaboration across sectors.
- Previous initiatives like Mission Indradhanush and the Rotavirus vaccine have significantly reduced childhood mortality due to diarrhoea, reinforcing the campaign’s approach.
- Community engagement is critical, focusing on educating healthcare workers, enhancing capacity, and ensuring state readiness and preparedness.
- Focus areas encompass hygiene promotion, improving healthcare infrastructure, addressing malnutrition, and implementing comprehensive diarrhoea management strategies.
- The campaign is structured into two phases: a preparatory phase (June 14-30, 2024) and a campaign phase (July 1-August 31, 2024) to optimize outreach and effectiveness.
The National STOP Diarrhea Campaign 2024 was introduced on June 24 by Union Ministers Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, Health and Family Welfare, and Smt. Anupriya Patel and Shri Jadhav Patraprao Ganpatrao. The goal of this program is to eliminate diarrhea-related deaths in children by using comprehensive tactics and therapies
Campaign Objectives
Achieving zero deaths of children from diarrhea is the main objective of the STOP Diarrhea Campaign 2024. By increasing the period of time to two months and enhancing Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) initiatives, the campaign expands upon the current structure.
Plan and Execution
- Extended Duration: To increase awareness and impact, the program was extended from two weeks to two months.
- Prepositioning ORS and Zinc: Giving prepackaged ORS and zinc to families with young children so they can utilize them right away when they have episodes of diarrhea.
- Multi-sectoral Collaboration: Including the domains of education, health, water, sanitation, and rural development to guarantee a comprehensive strategy.
Rotavirus Vaccine and Mission Indradhanush’s roles
The synergies between the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024, the Rotavirus vaccine, and Mission Indradhanush were highlighted by Shri J P Nadda. These earlier-initiated programs have addressed diarrhea through vaccinations and all-encompassing healthcare techniques, resulting in a considerable decrease in child mortality.
Awareness and Sensitization Are Important
In order to improve efforts at managing and preventing diarrhea, emphasis was put on raising awareness among communities and healthcare professionals. States were urged to step up their awareness-raising efforts and guarantee everyone was ready.
Campaign’s Priority Areas
The campaign’s main objectives are:
Encouraging hygienic habits and cleanliness are preventive measures.
- Treatment Access: Ensuring zinc and ORS are available and used.
- Health Infrastructure: Enhancing case management and service delivery capacity is part of the health infrastructure
- Nutritional Support: Treating malnutrition as a cause of illnesses associated with diarrhea.
Two Stages of Execution
- Phase of preparation: June 14–30, 2024; preparedness and distribution will be the primary goals.
- Phase of the campaign: July 1st–August 31st, 2024; increasing distribution, advocacy, and healthcare service provision.
India renewed its commitment to eliminating childhood diarrhea with the launch of the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024. Through strategic planning, cross-sectoral cooperation, and community involvement, the campaign hopes to dramatically lower the national rate of diarrhea-related infant death and enhance public health outcomes.
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