The STOP Diarrhoea Campaign aims to eliminate childhood deaths from diarrhoea, implementing a comprehensive strategy to promote oral rehydration and zinc treatment for children under 5
Launched by Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on June 24th, the STOP Diarrhoea Campaign aims to well, stop diarrhoea and reduce childhood deaths caused by the condition to zero.
The previous diarrhoea strategy involved a 2-week campaign with pre-positioning of ORS for children under the age of 5 and limited Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities.
The new strategy includes a 2-month campaign with pre-positioning of ORS and zinc co-packaging for children under the age of 5. Additionally, it will involve extensive IEC activities across various platforms and collaboration across multiple sectors, including health, water and sanitation, education, and rural development.
The Mission Indradhanush, the Rotavirus vaccine, and the STOP Diarrhoea Campaign have together helped reduce childhood mortality due to diarrhoea. Additionally, the National Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and the expansion of the Ayushman Arogya Mandir network have contributed to reducing diarrhoea cases and mortality in the country.
To address the ongoing problem of childhood diarrhoea and work towards eliminating child deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) recently renamed its long-standing Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) as the STOP Diarrhoea Campaign. This initiative, which started in 2014, aims to improve the Prevent, Protect, and Treat (PPT) strategy and promote the use of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and Zinc.
The STOP Diarrhoea Campaign will be implemented in two phases: the Preparatory Phase from June 14th to 30th, 2024, and the Campaign Phase from July 1st to August 31st, 2024.
Key activities during this period include the distribution of ORS and Zinc co-packages by ASHA workers to households with children under five, setting up ORS-Zinc corners at health facilities and Anganwadi centres, and intensifying advocacy and awareness efforts for effective diarrhoea management. Also, the campaign will strengthen service provision for diarrhoea case management to ensure comprehensive care and prevention.