On the directions of the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri J P Nadda, Ministry of Health launched nationwide Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF). it  will be observed from 11th to 23rd July across the country under which various activities has been planned including visits by ASHA workers to all such households which have children under the age of five.

The Ministry also unveiled a package of measures putting the Governments resolve to end child diarrhoea deaths on the overdrive.

Key Facts of  IDC

• The importance of this activity is that ORS will be available in the household when needed. It has often been observed that during critical stages of diarrhea.
•  Under this initiative, government aims at covering over 80 per cent of children (of the 10 crore children below five years of age) affected by diarrhoea across the country.
• This year, the target during the fortnight is to cover all the under-5 children. As many as 2.1 million children could be saved from hospitalisation and death due to diarrhoea last year
• Under this Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) would visit all households having children below five years of age for pre-positioning the Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS). They would also explain the benefits of the ORS solution in treatment of diarrhea, that the combination of ORS and Zinc has been found to be the most cost-effective intervention to prevent deaths due to diarrhoea and has been recognised as one of the best practices globally.
• More than 0.5 million schools participated in the IDCF campaign and more than 0.35 million ORS corners were set up in the country to ensure a sturdy mechanism for monitoring, this year, 23 national monitors would assess the efficacy of the activities. It would be complemented by monitors from the State governments and development partners.

Diarrhoea

• Diarrhoea is caused by various virus, bacteria and protozoa like rotavirus, E.coli etc.
• The most common cause is an infection of the intestines due to either a virus, bacteria, or parasite; a condition known as gastroenteritis.These infections are often acquired from food or water that has been contaminated by stool, or directly from another person who is infected.
• Prevention of infectious diarrhea is by improved sanitation, clean drinking water, and hand washing with soap.