New Delhi, July 5 (IANS): The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, on Friday joined hands with the Health Ministry’s National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti said that a joint “effort will contribute to the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign’s goal of reducing childhood mortality due to diarrhoea and improving overall public health in rural India.

It will also “advocate sustaining and achieving the Open Defecation Free Plus Model status in all villages in India towards a Sampoorna Swasth & Swachh Bharat”.

“The synergy between the rural sanitation mission and the National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign underscores our unwavering dedication to public health,” said C.R. Paatil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti.

He added that the concerted efforts will help “reduce childhood mortality and also foster a culture of health and hygiene across rural India”.

Launched on June 24, the two-month-long National STOP Diarrhoea campaign aims to attain zero deaths in kids under 5 due to diarrhoea -- the third leading cause of childhood mortality in India.

Its key focus areas include strengthening health infrastructure by ensuring the maintenance of health facilities and the availability of essential medical supplies (ORS, Zinc), especially in rural areas.

It also aims to improve access to clean water and sanitation; enhance nutritional programmes to tackle malnutrition; and promote hygiene education.

Complementing this initiative, DDWS also launched an awareness campaign on ‘Safe Water and Sanitation’ in rural areas from July 1 to August 31. The campaign ‘Swachh Gaon, Shudh Jal- Behtar Kal’ is designed to raise awareness and promote the use of safe water and sanitation practices at the village and panchayat levels.