Stop Diarrhoea Project demonstrates 62% reduction in point prevalence of diarrhoea

19/03/19

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Bal Raksha Bharat’s Stop Diarrhoea Initiative averts 16,286 cases of diarrhoea; reduces diarrhoeal deaths by 15%

New Delhi: The integrated implementation of 7-point plan for Diarrhoeal Control and Prevention, under Bal Raksha Bharat’s Stop Diarrhoea Initiative (SDI), has successfully demonstrated 62 percent reduction in prevalence of diarrhoea in the intervention areas as per the baseline survey and end line survey conducted in 2014 and 2018 respectively. The integrated implementation of 7-point plan for diarrhoea control and prevention has 21% more reduction of diarrhoea prevalence than the control area. Further, based on the calculation estimates, the SDI programme has been successful in averting about 16000 cases of diarrhoea in the intervention area and an estimated reduction in mortality due to the disease lowered by 15%.

Bal Raksha Bharat, which is also celebrating its centenary year globally this year, shared a baseline study during a national dissemination conference held in the capital today in the presence of dignitaries and showcased the outcome, outputs and milestones of the SDI Project. Present at the conference were Dr. Arti Garg, Assistant Commissioner-Child Health, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI, Dr. Raj Bhandari, Member, National Technical Board of Nutrition and Health at NITI Aayog, Technical Advisor to VSTF, GoM, Poshan IMAM, Padma Shri Dr. Indira Chakravarty, Chief Advisor – Public Health Engineering Dept., Govt. of West Bengal and Chair – Technical Advisory Group, Stop Diarrhoea Initiative.

Addressing the conference, Dr. Arti said,” India ranks high on the global list of deaths due to diarrhoea and pneumonia, where diarrhoea alone is responsible for 9% Under-5 deaths. Out of the 4.8-lakh deaths globally, around 1-lakh deaths occur in India. That makes it 287 daily deaths or 2 deaths every hour. It needs huge efforts to achieve our goals for 2030 and hence, congratulate Bal Raksha Bharat for this multi-sectoral convergence to operationalise diarrhoea control programs. Co-packaging ORS and Zinc in the treatment package has given a significant boost to reducing diarrhoeal deaths in their intervention areas.”

Dr. Raj Bhandari added, “We are in the middle of a perfect storm, because this is such a transformative change and we are ready to have a very informed view as to how our programmes need to be more doable. Besides growth surveillance & ICDS CAS real time monitoring, Inter-sectoral convergence is the third pillar of Poshan Abhiyan and what Bal Raksha Bharat has demonstrated through this convergence on a platform across sectors and at a micro level by including community level participation and have them take the ownership is commendable.”

Dr. O.P. Singh, Team Leader, Stop Diarrhoea Initiative, shared SDI achievements in alignment with National Health Mission’s Integrated Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (IAPPD) and said,” Bal Raksha Bharat’s SDI Project is aligned to the IAPPD approach, which strengthens the existing approaches towards prevention of diarrhoea to achieve higher coverage of interventions”.

Bal Raksha Bharat designed this intervention for the WHO/UNICEF seven point plan and implemented and tested across four states namely Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to achieve 100% coverage at ward and block level; more than the 80% coverage recommended by WHO for a targeted location. The project contributes to Bal Raksha Bharat’s global ambition to eliminate diarrhoea as a leading cause of death amongst children by 2020 and displays the plan as the most effective strategy that comprehensively covers prevention and treatment approaches of childhood diarrhoea management.

It also advocates for the state and national government and its partners to replicate and scale up the approach nationally.
The Programme intervened in nine locations, 6 rural and 3 urban- spread across the four states. Three urban locations are North and South Delhi in Delhi and Ward 58 and 65 in Kolkata, West Bengal. Six rural locations are Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar (US Nagar) districts in Uttarakhand (UTK), Bahraich, Balrampur, Pilibhit and Shrawasti districts in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The project catered to 473 rural Gram Panchayats (GP) of UP, and has reached out to 2 million people and to 0.2 Million Under-5 Children through diarrhoea treatment packages, construction of community toilet complexes & child friendly school sanitary blocks in targeted communities. They also facilitated rehabilitation of existing non-functional bore wells, hand pumps and other ground water sources during the programme implementation.

Effective implementation of the programme required community-based networks to help support appropriate Infant & Young Child Feeding (IYCF) at the facility and community levels and aims to support boys and girls through Children’s Health and Hygiene Clubs (CHHCs) in order to influence individual, family and community practices around diarrhoea prevention and control. A particular focus of health clubs have been for children to practice their learning outside school in their community and in influencing the behaviour of their younger siblings and peers.

About Stop Diarrhoea Initiative
Stop Diarrhoea Initiative project is being executed by Bal Raksha Bharat India in partnership with Reckitt and Benckiser (RB) and with technical support of Bal Raksha Bharat UK – with an aim to showcase the WHO/ UNICEF “7 Point Plan” as the most effective strategy which comprehensively covers both prevention and treatment approaches of childhood diarrhoea management. The project contributes to RB and Bal Raksha Bharat’s global ambition of removing diarrhoea as a leading cause of death amongst children by 2020. It has been designed to test the effectiveness and efficacy of the WHO/UNICEF 7 point plan; collate evidence to demonstrate proof of concept and value for money, and advocate for the state and national government and its partners to replicate and scale up the approach nationally. Bal Raksha Bharat celebrates 100 years of working for and with children, to bring them their entitled rights to identity, education, health, protection and humanitarian needs.

Visit www.savethechildren.in for more information.
Please direct all media queries, to:
Geeta Lama 7708655058 geeta.lama@savethechildren.in

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