Union Government launches Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight

July 12, 2016

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched a nationwide Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) to check child diarrhoeal deaths.
The IDCF drive was launched by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda in New Delhi. It will be observed from 11th to 23rd July, 2016 across the country.
Key Facts

The IDCF drive is a very cost -effective intervention to curb the risk of spread of diarrhoea which scales up during monsoon season
Intensified community awareness campaigns on hygiene and promotion of Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) and Zinc therapy will be conducted at state, district and village levels.
Under this initiative, government aims at covering over 80 per cent of children (of the 10 crore children below five years of age) affected by diarrhoea across the country.
The importance of this drive is that to make ORS available in the household when needed at the time of diarrhoea.
ASHAs will visit all households with children below 5 years of age for pre-positioning the ORS. They will also explain the benefits of these.
All health facilities will have ORS corners which will continuously demonstrate the way to prepare the ORS mixture.
These corners will also administer ORS and Zinc to children who are in need of these during diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is caused by various virus, bacteria and protozoa like rotavirus, E.coli etc.
The main reasons for diarrhoeal attacks amongst children are contaminated water, inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene, malnutrition and lack of immunisation.
The combination of ORS and Zinc is the most cost-effective intervention to prevent deaths due to diarrhoea.

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