Objectives
1. To detail the strategies for scale up of zinc and ORS use rates in India2. To describe processes involved in this large scale yearly campaign in terms of logistics, capacity building, community mobilization, monitoring and resource utilization.3. To share outcome of the campaign and lessons learnt.
Methods
The paper is a descriptive one, which attempts to document the strategies under the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight being implemented for the third successive year under the National Health Mission in India targeting around 10 million under five children. The paper details the various components, esp. its penetration in the rural masses under a large scale programme. The coverage and various modalities would be elaborated along with coverage achieved.
Results
Under National Health Mission, through routine healthcare system, numerous steps are undertaken to address diarrhoea related child mortality. However, recently since 2014, intensive campaign called as Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) has been implemented for the last two years by the National Government where in substantial investments have been done for promoting optimal behaviours for managing childhood diarrhoea. Strategically designed campaigns, comprehensively addressing all components of diarrhoea management at household level, have gained success in reaching out to large number of families during summer and monsoon season in India for the three years since 2014. The main activities ofIDCFinclude stock taking of ORS and zinc availability at all health facilities during pre monsoon/summer season, intensification of advocacy and awareness generation activities, diarrhoea management service provision, establishing ORS-zinc demonstration sites, prepositioning of ORS by ASHA through home visitation. One of the central activities ofIDCFis prepositioning of ORS at all households with under-five children along with delivery of messages for preparation of ORS, and thus requires capacity building of ASHAs in an effective way to deliver their envisioned roles. These campaigns have been well accepted by the federal governments and healthcare providers and may also be the reason for increase in zinc use rates in latest demographic survey.
Conclusions
Implementation of dedicated campaigns for increasing use rates of zinc and ORS, over few consecutive years is helpful in achieving high rates esp for such interventions with particularly low coverages.
