By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Many infants and children in India, die of preventable diseases, including diarrhoea, and Meghalaya too add to the numbers.
The State has recorded 71 deaths below the age of one year and 29 between 1-5 years due to diarrhoea, according to a report for 2016-17.
This has prompted the State Government to launch the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) with a mission to control diarrhoea-related deaths among children less than five years of age.
The two-week programme, which was launched on Tuesday, from July 18-31 is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
HM Shangpliang, Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department cum Director of the National Health Mission, addressed the gathering of parents mostly from rural areas at Ganesh Das Maternal and Child Health Hospital on Tuesday.
“The Government is aware of the frequent diarrhoea deaths in our State for quite some time. This is an awareness programme to sensitise people on the need to control diarrhoea. Diarrhoea deaths occur due to ignorance and lack of facilities and medicines at health centres,” Shangpliang said.
A 2015 report published by Unicef showed around 1.2 million children below five years of age die of preventable causes putting the apparently emerging economy in the league of countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
Speaking at Tuesday’s programme in the city, Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare PW Ingty said awareness on IDCF assumed significance to ensure control and reduction in child mortality rate.
“Diarrhoea is responsible for many deaths among children. Control of the disease is not enough but proper nutrition should also be provided as a follow-up,” he added.
Meanwhile, EA Pasweth, Joint director (MCH & FW), state Nodal Officer-Child Health, highlighted the effective and low-cost diarrhoea treatment that included a combination of Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) solution and zinc tablets.
She urged the people to maintain proper sanitation, use toilets to prevent the spread of the disease and drink boiled water.
The number of diarrhoea and dehydration cases below 5 years of age is 75,170 for the year 2016-17 with East Khasi Hills at the top the list with 17,226 cases.
The district wise number of cases is East Garo Hills (3,965), East Jaintia Hills (8,291), North Garo Hills (2,143), Ri Bhoi (7,079), South Garo Hills (1,337), South West Garo Hills (3,370), South West Khasi Hills (1,533), West Garo Hills (6,259), West Jaintia Hills (13,350) and West Khasi Hills (10,617).
The number of infant deaths due to diarrhoea in different districts is — East Khasi Hills with 20, West Khasi Hills (12), East Garo Hills (10), West Jaintia Hills (8), Ri Bhoi (7), South West Khasi Hills (6), South Garo Hills (4), West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills (2 each). No death was reported from East Jaintia Hills and North Garo Hills. The district wise figures for the number of child deaths
(1-5 years) are East Garo Hills (3), East Khasi Hills (7), North Garo Hills (1), Ri Bhoi (5), South West Garo Hills and West Jaintia Hills (2), South West Khasi Hills (3), West Garo Hills (1), West Khasi Hills (5). No deaths were reported from East Jaintia Hills and South Garo Hills.