ITANAGAR, 28 Jul: In response to the recent diarrhoea outbreak in Konsa village in Longding district, a state-level technical team investigated the causes of the children’s death, and made several recommendations to prevent the disease.
The team, comprising child health & public health specialist Dr Tana Natung, RMNCHA, UNICEF state facilitator Manas Mohan, and SBCC, UNICEF facilitator Himakshi Baruah, conducted house-to-house surveys, engaged with the villagers, and inspected the local health facilities, water sources, and sanitation facilities.
Based on their findings, a few recommendations have been submitted to the district and the state authorities for immediate implementation to prevent diarrhoea and other water-borne disease.
The recommendations include formation of a state-level committee, comprising officers from the PHED and the
health & family welfare department, which will develop and implement guidelines, programmes and policies related to water hygiene and sanitation; a district-level coordination committee to ensure coordinated implementation of water hygiene and sanitation guidelines across sub-districts; intensifying awareness campaigns on personal and hand hygiene, water hygiene, food hygiene, and healthy housing’ promoting the use of sanitary toilets and discouraging open-air defecation.
The team recommended that “all stakeholder departments should work together to ensure adequate availability of potable water in every household, anganwadi centre, school, and public place.
“Health department staffs at the block and the village levels should focus on educating the community about diarrhoea prevention. This includes proper hand hygiene, ORS preparation, and nutrition for children to prevent diarrhoeal deaths,” they recommended.
On 26 July, 145 candle water filters were distributed to the affected villagers in Konsa through the Longding District Health Society. Every household, school, and anganwadi centre received one filter.
The distribution drive was led by Longding ADC Mirpe Tato, in the presence of DRCHO Dr Aza Miyu, Konsa village chief Katwang Wangham, and others.
The initiative is aimed at preventing further fatalities, following the tragic death of three children due to diarrhoea in June.
