Asha workers along with other Health Department officials will be visiting an estimated 24,000 households in the district having children under the age of 5 years over the next 15 days to distribute Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and Zinc tablets as part of the Integrated Diarrhoea Control Fortnight.
Speaking to The Hindu about the Integrated Diarrhoea Control Fortnight launched at the District Hospital in Mysuru on Monday, District Health Officer K.H. Prasad said the health workers will explain to the parents about the need to administer ORS along with zinc tablets whenever the children suffer from diarrhoea. He explained that zinc acts as a catalyst for absorption of ORS. “It is only 50 per cent effective when only ORS is administered. But, when administered along with zinc tablets, it is 90 per cent effective”, he said.
Diarrhoea is responsible for the mortality of 4.5 per cent of hildren before reaching 5 years. Dehydration and poor immunity are identified as the reasons among children dying due to diarrhoea.
Also, he said the Integrated Diarrhoea Control is a programme involving officials from Zilla Panchayat, Women and Child Welfare Department, Health and Family Welfare Department and other allied departments including municipal workers belonging to the Village Health and Sanitation Committees.
Identifying water contamination to be among the chief reasons for diarrhoea, Dr. Prasad said an elaborate drive to clean water tanks and chlorinate them will be taken up during the Fortnight. People will be advised on hygiene and cleanliness, besides washing of hands. They will also be advised to contact the health facilities if children suffer from diarrhoea.
Meanwhile, a breastfeeding week was also launched on Monday with the officials pointing out that children who are breastfed for a stipulated period of time enjoy good immunity. A statement from the Health and Family Welfare Department said studies had shown that about 40 per cent of the children under six months of age are deprived of mother’s milk. A child should be breastfed soon after it is born and should be fed only mother’s breast milk for the first six months. After the first six months, mother’s milk can be supplemented with other nourishment.
