Lok Sabha Question No. 463 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-02-26
Subject: Child Death caused by Diarrhea
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: KALIKESH NARAYAN SINGH DEO

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 463 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH FEBRUARY , 2016

## CHILD DEATH CAUSED B Y DIARRHEA

## 463. SHRI KALIKESH N. SINGH DEO:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken cognizance that India has the third highest proport child deaths caused by diarrhoea associated with contaminated drinking water in South Asia ;

- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the action taken by the Government to prevent the same?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

(a)& (b): As per the World Health Statistics 2015, 10 percent of under -five child deaths are caused  by  diarrhoea  in  India.  In  comparison  to  South  East  Asian  countries,  India  has highest  proportion  of  child  deaths  caused  by  diarrhoea,  after  Afghanistan  (13  pe rcent)  and Pakistan (11 percent). Country wise details are annexed.

(c ): Under the National Health Mission, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the follow steps are being  taken by the Government for  prevention and control of diarrhoea in child ren:

1. Promotion  of  early  and  exclusive  breastfeeding  along  with  appropriate  complementa feeding, is being undertaken through frontline health workers namely ASHA and ANM at community and facility level.
2. Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) packets and zinc table ts are made available free of cost.
3. Vitamin A Supplementation programme for children up to of 5 years of age.
4. Awareness  is  being  created  amongst  mothers  on  sanitation  and  hygiene  and  in  t communities about the causes and treatment of diarrhoea through h ealth education.
5. Antibiotics for treatment of dysentery are made available through the public health sys
6. Capacity building of frontline workers and medical officers through the IMNCI (Integr Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses) and FIM NCI (Facility based Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses).

7. Use of Mother and Child Protection card for growth monitoring to track children for st undernutrition and timely intervention during Village Health & Nu trition Days (VHNDs)
8. Surveillance activities to detect outbreaks of  Diarrhoea through Integrated Surveillance Programme (IDSP) are also carried out.

Di

9. Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) is being implemented as a campaign in month ofJuly and first month of August, since 2014, for control of deaths due to Diarrhoea across all States & UTs. It includes massive awareness generation on use of ORS and during  diarrhoea,  bringing  together  multiple  departments  to  generate  awareness  and also reach to each under -five child with one packet of ORS to be used when diarrhoea begins. Main activities include intensification of advocacy activities, awareness generation a diarrhoea  management  service  provision,  establishing  ORS - zinc  demo nstration  sites,  ORS distribution  by  ASHA  through  home  visitation,  detection  of  undernourished  children their treatment, promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding activities by home visi ASHA and establishing IYCF corners.
2. 10.State and regional le vel workshops are being held for in - depth planning and review as per the Integrated Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD) framework.

Other  schemes/programmes  which  have  the  potential  of  diarrhoea  control  include  t Swachch  Bharat  Abhiyan,  Integ rated  Child  Development  Services  (ICDS),  Mid - Day  Meal Scheme and Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojna (IGMSY) implemented by other Ministries.

………….

## Annexure

## Proportion of under - five deaths caused by diarrhoea in South Est Asian Countries (Source:World Health Statistics, 2015)

| Country     |   % of under-five child deaths caused diarrhoea |
|-------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| Afghanistan |                                              13 |
| Pakistan    |                                              11 |
| India       |                                              10 |
| Timor Leste |                                              10 |
| Nepal       |                                               7 |
| Bhutan      |                                               7 |
| Bangladesh  |                                               6 |
| Indonesia   |                                               6 |
| Korea       |                                               5 |
| Thailand    |                                               3 |
| Sri Lanka   |                                               2 |
| Maldives    |                                               1 |
| Myanmar     |                                               1 |