NEW DELHI: Around 328 children under 5 years of age die of diarrhoea every day, latest assessment by the health ministry shows. This has prompted the ministry to intensify its diarrhoea control programme to reach out to over 10 crore children with ORS solution this year from 6.3 crore last year.

Estimates show that over 1.2 lakh children less than five years of age succumb to diarrhoea every year. The primary reasons for diarrhoeal attacks among children are contaminated water and food, malnutrition, inadequate sanitation and lack of immunization. Diarrhoeal deaths are usually clustered in summer and monsoon months.
“It may not be possible to stop incidence of diarrhoea by intervention but prevent deaths from it,” CK Mishra, additional secretary to the health ministry said, while launching ‘Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight 2016’. The initiative is aimed at targeted intervention for diarrhea across the country through trained health workers.

 Childhood diarrhoeal diseases continue to be a major killer among children less than five years of age. Over 10% of the under-5 mortality is due to diarrhea. Though government interventions through last one year have helped reduce the mortality rate but it requires continuous interventions to make substantial difference, an official said.

The ministry has also partnered with various other health agencies including UNICEF to ramp up the programme.

By distribution of ORS and ORS Zinc (given specially to children who are already suffering from diarrhea), the government has managed to prevent around 21 lakh hospitalization and deaths in last one year.

In India, only 54.4% children suffering from diarrhea receive ORS, whereas 30% of children are malnourished and are therefore, at an increased risk of getting the infection.

source:timesofindia