Micronutrient Initiative country director Sucharita Dutta at the conference in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

The state accounts for 23,000 child deaths every year owing to diarrhoea — 10 per cent of the total count, said experts at a daylong workshop on Wednesday.

In India, nearly 2 lakh children below five years die because of diarrhoea each year. The event titled “Childhood Diarrhoea Management Programme: Results and Learning” was organised by Micronutrient Initiative in collaboration with the health department. The workshop was aimed at disseminating information on progress of diarrhoea control programme presently running in the state.

Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Micronutrient Initiative works towards advancement of integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies through advocacy, technical and programmatic support in more than 70 countries around the world. In Bihar, Micronutrient Initiative entered into collaboration with the state government in 2011 and since then has been working towards preventing diarrhoeal deaths in the state.

Micronutrient Initiative country director Sucharita Dutta said the majority of these deaths caused by diarrhoea could be prevented. She said: “We, as a partner agency of the Bihar government, launched diarrhoea control programme in the state initially in 15 districts which was later scaled up to all the 38 districts. A survey was later done by the school and public health wing of Johns Hopkins University, the result of which was very encouraging.”

Dutta said during the survey it was found that more and more people are now aware of zinc and oral rehydration solution therapy in combating diarrhoea and that more people were now visiting government hospitals for treatment.

“A measurable change was witnessed with the training of Accredited social health activists in dealing with diarrhoea cases in the 15 districts,” Dutta said, adding that Vitamin A supplementation programme was also undertaken in Bihar by organising camps.

She added: “In two districts, Darbhanga and Sitamarhi, programmes with respect to de-worming, providing iron and folic acids to lactating mothers, providing zinc and immunisation was undertaken by Micronutrient Initiative. As Bihar happens to be a large consumer of non-iodised salt, Micronutrient Initiative also assist the state government in encouraging use of iodised salt to prevent diarrhoea deaths.”

On the constraints, Dutta said in Bihar, zinc tablet supply has been stopped since March 2014. “We have requested the state government for early resumption of zinc tablet supply for successful implementation of the programme,” she said.