BHUBANESWAR: Even as Odisha battles with high incidence of diarrhoea among children, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is all set to launch an extensive programme on ‘Management and prevention of childhood diarrhoea’ to combat the menace in the State. The programme would be launched in five districts of Rayagada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Kandhamal in association with Unicef and NRHM. These five districts, which are predominantly tribal, have been witnessing frequent outbreaks of cholera over the recent years.

BHUBANESWAR: Experts have called for inculcation of proper sanitary and personal hygiene habits among children right from their early age to tackle the menace of enteric diseases. Simple habits and practices like regular washing of hands and taking daily baths can minimise the risk of infections among children.

Two ICDDR,B doctors, also experts in cholera management, returned home Wednesday after a two-week visit to the Horn of African countries —Somalia and Kenya — where they trained more than 50 health professionals, including doctors and nurses, in cholera case management.
Heavy rainfall caused increased fears of a wide- scale cholera outbreak in an already volatile region marred by warfare and subsequent breakdown in basic infrastructure and services.

Survey conducted by Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has revealed out of as many as 239 Water Supply Schemes (WSSs) in district Attock, 25 % are supplying contaminated water which contains micro-organisms, arsenic, iron and hardness. Mostly untreated water is being supplied to the consumers, which is causing many waterborne diseases among adults as well as kids alike.

Around 80 percent water supply schemes in Rawalpindi are providing contaminated water, thus leaving the people at the risk of serious diseases like hepatitis, jaundice and diarrhoea.

The outcome of the technical assessment survey of water supply schemes, conducted in the domains of seven tehsils of Rawalpindi district, has revealed that water supply schemes are providing piped water for drinking purposes, to meet household needs and for other multiple uses to an enumerated population of 1.4 million people on 385 surveyed water schemes.

KOCHI: Almost a week back, two jaundice-related deaths were reported in the district, but it failed to put a check on the increasing number of cases of waterborne disease. At least, 80 cases of waterborne diseases have been reported in Ernakulam district alone. The Hepatitis A virus doing rounds in Ernakulam has been creating tension, especially, in the western region of Kochi, said officials at the District Medical Officer’s office here.

It has been around three years since the High Court ordered industries indiscriminately discharging waste water to install effluent treatment plants (ETPs) within a year. The court on June 10, 2009 also asked the government (industries secretary) to ensure that no new industry is set up without ensuring proper measures to check pollution.

However, the environmental law enacted in 1997 bars such 'untreated' filthy water discharge in waterbodies. It also states that ETPs are a must for those types of industries.

Hampered by inadequate manpower, lack of statutory power

Amid widespread apprehensions over the quality of water supplied through an estimated 400 tanker lorries in the district, the Groundwater Department remains a mute spectator thanks to the lack of statutory authority and adequate manpower.

With water crisis slowly taking on alarming proportions, substandard packaged drinking water, without proper labels and ISO certification and quality checks, are more freely available in the market, raising risks of contracting water-borne diseases.

With the Water Board failing to supply adequate safe drinking water, residents are forced to buy water from private companies. But water bottles or pouches of many companies are sold without proper labels or adequate quality checks, officials said.

A recent death of a person in Edathala due to hepatitis E has sparked off health concerns in the district that had seen a grave situation last year too because of outbreak of hepatitis in various parts of the district leading to an epidemic-like situation.

An emergency meeting has been called by the District Collector at his camp office on Tuesday to review the situation and take necessary action.