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Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dimapur, Dr. K Vikato Kinimi along with other health workers at the launch of Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight in Dimapur on May 28.[/caption]
Dimapur, May 28 (EMN): With the aim to attain “zero” deaths due to diarrhoea for children below five years, Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) was launched in Dimapur and Zunheboto districts on May 28. The campaign would culminate on June 8.
In Dimapur, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. K Vikato Kinimi, launched the IDCF on May 28 in his office chamber.
Dr. Rebecca, District Programme Officer, UIP-RCH, stated that activities to control diarrhoea would be carried out during the fortnight campaign. She added that focus would given to improve availability and use of ORS and Zinc to strengthen facility level to manage cases of dehydration and to enhance advocacy and communication on prevention and control of diarrhoea through IEC campaign.
Besides conducting house-to-house visits by health workers, she stated that health workers would visit schools to carry out IDCF activities. Demonstration of Hand-washing techniques and distributions of ORS packets would be carried out during the campaign.
In preparation for the IDCF campaign in Dimapur, district-level training on IDCF for medical officers and block level training on IDCF for ASHAs, ANMs and health workers were carried out over the month.
In a similar programme, Zunheboto District Health Society (DHS) launched the IDCF at GMS Old Town, Zunheboto, on May 28.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Shikatoli Achumi, MO, RBSK, had briefed on the objectives of Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight and presented a demonstration on clean hand washing. Free IEC posters and leaflets were distributed to the participants during the programme.
He stated that the activity is being intensified as diarrhoeal mortality rate still remained high among children below five years.
Office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Zunheboto, in convergence with allied departments, would implement the activities in schools and Anganwadi centres to ensure proper hand washing techniques.
According to Shekho Sophie, District Media Officer, IDCF is being observed to improve availability and use of ORS and Zinc at the community level; strengthening to manage cases of dehydration; and enhanced advocacy and communication on prevention and control of diarrhoea through IEC campaign.
“Reduction of childhood mortality is one of the prime goals of National Health Mission and childhood diarrhoeal disease continues to be one of the major killers among children under five years in many states, the statement said. It added that almost all the deaths due to diarrhoea could be averted by preventing and treating dehydration by the use of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) and administration of Zinc tablets along with adequate nutritional intake by the child during diarrhoea.
During the fortnight, set of activities would be implemented in an intensified manner for prevention and control of death due to dehydration caused by diarrhoea across the district, the statement added.
A total of 7000 ORS and 11,000 Zinc tablets would be distributed in the district. The department aimed at reaching out to all children below 5 years of age in the district through medical practitioners, Mobile Health Team, frontline workers like ASHAs and Anganwadi workers.
The CMO, Zunheboto, has appealed to every household having children below five years of age to avail the services provided by the department during the fortnight.
