AP to Launch 2-Month Campaign to Control Diarrhoea And Ensure Personal Hygiene

To this end, Chief Secretary Neerabh Prasad held a video conference with officials of the concerned departments and district collectors at the state secretariat on Friday.

The CS said officials of Panchayat Raj, RWS, medical health, and municipal departments should implement the action plan on a war footing to control the spread of diarrheal disease.

In the last four months, many people were admitted to the hospitals due to diarrhea in Guntur, Vijayawada, Kakinada, Jangareddygudem, etc, and one death was reported in February.

Neerabh Prasad asked them to immediately control water pollution in the respective sources. Water quality tests were conducted in 217 drinking water sources across the state. Pipeline leakages should be checked, he said.

The CS directed the staff of village ward secretariats, ANM Anganwadi, and medical health department staff to undertake a large-scale house-to-house campaign on personal hygiene.

Special principal secretary to the health department, MT Krishna Babu, said water quality tests should be conducted across the state. Collectors were told that all the freshwater sources should be checked. Steps should be taken to distribute ORS packets and zinc tablets through a campaign.

Similarly, he said that preventive measures should be taken like rotavirus and measles injections. Rapid action measures should be taken in high-risk areas with the participation of the officials and various voluntary organizations.

Krishna Babu said a district-level inter-sectoral task force should be formed under the auspices of the health department before June 23 and adequate stock of ORS, zinc, and IV fluids made available. To do this, a micro plan should be prepared and ARS, zinc corner, and communication strategy monitoring mechanism prepared between June 24 and 30.

State Municipal and Urban Development Department special principal secretary Anil Singhal said municipal commissioners should be made responsible for the control of diarrhoea in various urban areas. They should review the measures being taken on the management of various drinking water sources and pipelines.

State Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Department principal secretary Shashi Bhushan said water quality testing kits are available at village, mandal, and district levels and also with the RWS department. Testing should be conducted on a large scale.

Jaya Lakshmi, chief secretary to women and child welfare, said steps should be taken to ensure that all children drink safe and hot water in all Anganwadi centers.