Prevention of Water-Borne Diseases
Diseases
such as Cholera, Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases (Dysentery and Diarrhea),
Enteric Fever (Typhoid) and Viral Hepatitis A & E are caused by
consumption of contaminated drinking water.
Provision of safe drinking water and health services falls within the
ambit of the State/UT Governments. However, the Government of India has
taken steps both for facilitating availability of safe drinking water as
also for ensuring effective surveillance of outbreaks of such diseases
and their prevention and management.
As informed by the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, all
States have been informed to commission surface water based piped water
supply schemes in all habitations as a long term sustainable solution.
However, since these projects have a long gestation period (say 3-5
years) and the rural people cannot be put to the risk of consuming
contaminated water, all States have also been advised to install
community water purification plants. This has been done with the
objective of providing 8-10 litres of safe water per capita per day for
drinking and cooking purposes only.
Besides, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through its
Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, helps the States/UTs to
effectively detect and respond to disease outbreaks including water
borne diseases by providing additional manpower, strengthening of
laboratories, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) equipment
and funds. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) also helps
the States/UTs through surveillance, investigation, laboratory and other
facilities. It also helps States in capacity building through training
& developmental activities.
Health System Strengthening support being given to the State Governments
under National Health Mission (NHM) also enhances capacity of the
Health Institutions, up to the district level, to treat and manage water
borne diseases.
The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Smt Anupriya Patel
stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.
*****
MV/LK
(Release ID :160070)
No comments:
Post a Comment