Health Ministry emphasises on diet & nutrition to fight childhood diarrhoea

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar launches Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight – 2022

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar has launched the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF)-2022 in New Delhi, in the presence of Dr Sapam Ranjan Singh, Health Minister of Manipur. IDCF programme is being implemented from 13th June to 27th June, 2022 in the States/UTs. The goal of IDCF is to attain zero child deaths due to childhood diarrhoea.

Dr Pawar highlighted that “dehydration is the biggest cause of diarrhoea in children and other reasons include a change in the baby’s diet to make up for a change in the mother’s diet when breastfeeding; Use of antibiotics by the baby, or use by the mother while breastfeeding, or any type of bacterial or parasitic infection.”

Signifying the importance of prevention and mitigation methods, Dr Pawar said that “According to the latest survey (NFHS-5) conducted by the Ministry, only 60.6% children under the age of five with diarrhoea were given ORS and only 30.5% were given zinc. This means that there is lack of awareness among mothers.” She stressed on more awareness campaigns so that the rate of child mortality due to diarrhoea can be brought down to the minimum level.

Dr Pawar said that diarrhoea can be prevented through safe drinking water, breastfeeding/appropriate nutrition, hygiene and hygiene measures like hand-washing etc.

image credit- PIB

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