To reduce infant mortality caused by diarrhoea, the medical health and family welfare department would launch an Integrated Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) from September 28. Informing about the fortnight, the Mission director, National Health Mission (NHM), Yugal Kishore Pant said while talking to the media persons here on Wednesday that the diarrhoea is the cause for 10 percent of mortality among the children up to five years of age and with some simple measures these deaths can be prevented.
He, further, said that the diarrhoea causes dehydration in the body of the children and mortality caused by the disease can be prevented by use of Oral Rehydration Therapy Solution (ORS) and administration of Zinc tablet.
Pant said that during the fortnight-long campaign, the people would be told about ORS, Zinc tablet and the benefits of cleanliness and maintenance of personal hygiene.
The State programme officer Dr Amit Shukla said that ORS packets would be distributed free of cost among the children up to five years of age. Under the campaign, a total of 15.99 lakh ORS packets and 15.84 lakh Zinc tablets would be distributed through hospitals, health centres, private hospitals and Anganwadi Kendras.
Dr Shukla added that ORS corners would be set up in the Anganwadi Kendras and information about the disease and dose of ORS and Zinc tablets would be provided in course of the campaign to the Anganwadi workers.
The director general (DG) health, Dr T C Pant and director, NHM, Dr Anjali Nautiyal were also present on the occasion.