Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda today launched the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024 at a function in New Delhi. He launched the campaign by distributing oral rehydration salts (ORS) and zinc tablets to children in presence of Minister of States for Health Anupriya Patel and Patraprao Jadhav. The two-month campaign will begin from the 1st of July and continue till the 31st of August. The goal behind the STOP Diarrhoea Campaign is to attain zero child deaths due to childhood diarrhoea. While the existing diarrhoea strategy entailed a two-week campaign, the new strategy involved a two-month long campaign with the pre-positioning of two ORS packets and zinc as a co-packaging for under-5 children. It will also involve extensive IEC through different platforms and collaboration across multiple sectors, including health, water and sanitation, education, and rural development.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda said that various initiatives taken by the Centre have cumulatively helped reduce childhood mortality due to diarrhoea. He 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 have significantly contributed to the reduction of diarrhoea cases and infant mortality in the country. The Union Health Minister also emphasized the importance of sensitizing health workers along with enhancing capacity-building efforts to strengthen diarrhoea management efforts in India.
