Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Monday launched the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024 with an aim to attain zero deaths to childhood Diarrhoea.
He also released IEC materials like logo, posters, radio spots and audio visuals for the campaign and distributed oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc tablets to children, in presence of Union Ministers of State for Health Anupriya Patel and Jadhav Patraprao Ganpatrao.
Speaking on the occasion, Nadda said, “There is a unique relationship between Mission Indradhanush, Rotavirus vaccine and this STOP Diarrhoea Campaign as all were among the first initiatives launched during my earlier tenure as the health minister.”
He said various initiatives taken by the Central government have cumulatively helped in reducing childhood mortality due to Diarrhoea.
The health minister highlighted that in 2014, India was the first country to introduce the Rotavirus vaccine.
Similarly, the National Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and expansion of the Ayushman Arogya Mandir network has significantly contributed to the reduction of Diarrhoea cases and mortality in the country, he added.
The Union Health Minister also emphasised the importance of sensitising health workers along with enhancing capacity building efforts to strengthen Diarrhoea management effort in India.
Appreciating the preparedness level of the states, Nadda said, “If our healthcare workers could reach the remotest corners of the country and administer 220 crore doses of Covid vaccines, I am sure that our frontline healthcare workers can create the same robust delivery mechanism during STOP Diarrhoea Campaign too”.