New Delhi, June 24 (IANS): Union Health Minister, J.P. Nadda on Monday launched the national STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024 to curb deaths related to diarrhoea in children under the age of five years.

Diarrhoea is the third leading cause of childhood mortality in India.

"The STOP Diarrhoea Campaign aims to attain zero child deaths due to childhood diarrhoea," the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The STOP Diarrhoea Campaign, has been rebranded from the long-standing Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) initiative, which began in 2014.

Compared to the existing 2-week strategy of pre-positioning ORS, the new strategy involves a 2-month long campaign with pre-positioning of 2 ORS packets and zinc as a co-packaging to under-5 children.

"Various initiatives of the Union Government like the National Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and expansion of the Ayushman Arogya Mandir network has cumulatively helped in reducing childhood mortality due to diarrhoea in the country," said Health Minister J.P. Nadda.

The campaign's 2024 slogan, "Diarrhoea ki Roktham, Safai aur ORS se rakhen apna dhyaan" highlights the significance of prevention, cleanliness, and appropriate treatment.

The campaign will be implemented in two phases -- the Preparatory Phase from June 14 to 30, and the Campaign Phase from July 1 to August 31.

The health minister also emphasised on the importance of sensitising health workers along with enhancing capacity building efforts to strengthen diarrhoea management effort in India.

"If our healthcare workers could reach the remotest corners of the country and administer 220 crore doses of Covid vaccines, I am sure that our frontline healthcare workers can create the same robust delivery mechanism during the STOP Diarrhoea Campaign too," J.P. Nadda said.