Monsoon health alert: Centre urges states to prioritize hygiene and clean water to combat diarrhoeal diseases
A joint communication from the ministries of health, women and child development, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, and urban development and housing, called for enhanced access to clean water, stronger nutrition programmes, and widespread promotion of hygiene, while ensuring the availability of oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc at all health facilities.
Acute Diarrheal Disease or ADD is usually caused by infections from viruses, bacteria, or parasites. The disease can spread through contaminated food, water, poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diarrhoeal disease is the third-leading cause of death in children under five and is responsible for killing around 444,000 children every year worldwide. About 1.7 billion cases of childhood diarrhoeal disease occur every year.
In India too, diarrhoea is a leading cause of death in children under five. While official figures are not available, according to figures published by PubMed, an open access data resource, around 300,000 children died from diarrhoea in 2014-15 in India.
According to sources in the know of the matter, this declined to 60,000 deaths in 2023-24. in 2023.
Some states are already seeing a large number of cases. Karnataka reported 64,229 cases of ADD and two deaths this year until 8 May, compared with 183,777 cases and eight deaths in 2024, according to the Karnataka State health department.
Similarly, 26 acute ADD cases and a death were reported from a village in Dibrugarh, Assam, in 2023.
The government is currently running a campaign until 31 July to encourage states in preparatory activities. These include establishing State Task Forces, building the capacity of health workers, and being prepared for distribution of ORS-Zinc packs.
The risk of diarrhoea increases during the monsoon season.
'States and UTs are urged to conduct interdepartmental task force meetings, develop communication strategies including social and behavior change communication (SBCC), and ensure ORS and Zinc co-packaging at the healthcare facilities and distribution to children under five years of age,' stated the communication to the states seen by Mint.
A senior government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, emphasized the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine in protecting against a common cause of childhood diarrhea-related deaths.
'The government's "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" and initiatives for clean water supply have been instrumental in reducing diarrheal infections in children. Around 20 years back, almost every child under 5 years of age used to suffer from diarrhoea per year, which has now reduced to one-fourth due to good efforts on clean and safe water and good sanitation," the official stated.
The official said diarrhoea significantly increases the risk of malnutrition in children by 5-7 times and the fatality rate is higher if a child is malnourished.
'Therefore, zinc is administered with ORS to control diarrhea, aid recovery, and prevent malnutrition. The treatment for diarrhea is easy, involving maintaining high hygiene standards, keeping the child hydrated, and providing nutritious meals.'
Queries sent to the spokespersons of the ministries mentioned above remained unanswered.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
City sees spike in gastro cases amid monsoon onset
Kolkata: An outbreak of viral fever and gastrointestinal diseases, with symptoms of stomach upset often worsening into diarrhoea, has struck Kolkata over the last week, within days of the Covid outbreak fading. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Cases of severe diarrhoea, typhoid, and shigella have also been reported across private hospitals. The number of patients suffering from stomach infection-related fever has gone up by 10%-15% in the last four days, according to some city clinics and hospitals. "The symptoms range from mild stomach discomfort to severe gastroenteritis with high fever persisting for three-four days. We have been receiving five-six patients with stomach-related ailments daily on average since last week. These include senior citizens, some of whom suffered severe electrolyte imbalance due to fluid loss triggered by diarrhoea. We admitted a few since it's necessary to monitor the electrolyte level and ensure the right fluid replenishment under supervision," said Charnock Hospital emergency head Nishant Agarwal. "We received around five patients with hepatitis A in the last week. Typhoid and gastrointestinal diseases rise around the onset of monsoon, often due to consumption of contaminated water. That apart, cases of severe diarrhoea have been on the rise. This will continue till the rain turns more consistent," said Sayan Chakrabarty, infectious diseases physician, Manipal Hospitals. "We are seeing a variety of gastrointestinal infections, ranging from viral gastroenteritis to bacterial infections like E. coli and salmonella that cause diarrhoea, fever, and stomach pain. Common symptoms include nausea, watery or bloody diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, fever, and dehydration," said Shiv Ratan Pathak, consultant gastroenterologist, BP Poddar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Last week, we had six admissions. Drinking safe water and good hygiene are essential," said Supriyo Chakrabarty, group adviser, BP Poddar. "We detected several diarrhoea and typhoid cases, some very severe, over the last few days. Several pathogenic strains of E-coli have also been detected along with a few shigella cases. We also found campylobacter jejuni and vibrio cholerae in multiple cases with gastrointestinal symptoms," said Peerless Hospital microbiologist Bhaskar Narayan Chaudhuri. Techno DAMA Hospital has treated five to six young adults and kids with diarrhoea, fever, bloating, and stom-ach cramps. E. coli, rotavirus, amoebiasis, and a few salmonella and Shigella cases have been detected along with a few cases of typhoid. "We mostly treat by using ORS. Zinc supplementation can also help reduce the duration and severity of episodes. In bacterial infections, antibiotics may be prescribed," said MS Purkait, medical superintendent, Techno India DAMA Hospital.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
2 fresh cases of suspected jaundice in Kaunke Kalan
Ludhiana: Two fresh cases of suspected jaundice were reported in Kaunke Kalan village Friday, taking the total of such cases to 15. Health officials said of them, four have tested negative for Hepatitis A and E. A health department report said no suspected patient was admitted to a health facility. Officials said seven rapid response teams, constituted by the health department, surveyed 477 houses and 2,418 villagers in the survey. The health department also took five water samples from the village and sent them for testing, though the reports returned negative. SMO (Hathur) Dr Varun Saggar said the situation is under control in the village as the health department took proactive steps to prevent the disease. Health officials said 550 chlorine tablets and 30 ORS packets were distributed in the village. Awareness was created among the villagers about the disease and they were advised to reach the nearest health facility in case of symptoms of fever and jaundice, they added. On July 2, eleven suspected cases of jaundice were reported. The next day four more were reported in the village.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Children under 5 years vulnerable to diarrhoea: Mandya DC
Mandya: Children under the age of five are particularly vulnerable to diarrhoea, which can lead to serious health complications and even death. Maintaining hygiene is the most effective way to prevent this disease, emphasised deputy commissioner Kumara. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking at a coordination meeting organised by the department of health and family welfare at the DC's office, Kumara announced that a district-wide diarrhoea prevention campaign will be conducted from July 16 to 31, targeting households with young children. As part of the campaign, ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) packets and zinc tablets will be distributed to families with children below five years, based on data available with ASHA and anganwadi workers. Special ORS-Zinc Corners will also be set up at anganwadi centres to offer basic treatment and awareness about early signs of diarrhoea such as dehydration. "With the arrival of over 30,000 migrant sugar cane workers in the district, we must remain vigilant," Kumara stated, adding that the authorities should identify high-risk areas like slums and labour settlements, and conduct intensive awareness drives on hygiene and preventive care. He directed anganwadi workers to promptly report diarrhoea cases to local health officials and actively engage with communities where sanitation is poor. In hostels run by the social welfare and backward classes welfare departments, and in schools, students must be encouraged to wash hands before meals as a preventive measure, he said. Kumara also highlighted the risks posed by measles and rubella, noting that both diseases can be fatal if not addressed. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He urged parents to ensure their children receive both doses of the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine — the first between 9 to 11 months and the second between 16 to 24 months. To improve vaccine outreach, he proposed holding village-level awareness meetings and using waste collection vehicles to broadcast health awareness jingles, maximising public reach. District health and family welfare officer Dr K Mohan informed the gathering that since Jan, 78 children with fever and related symptoms were tested, with one rubella and four measles cases confirmed and successfully treated. Follow-up testing in the affected areas revealed no further cases, he reported. Dr TN Marigowda and women and child welfare deputy director Rajamurthy were also present.
