Agartala, Aug 12: Around 12.80 lakh children and adolescents (0-19 years) would be targeted under Mukhyamantri Sustho Shoishob Sustho Kaishore Abhiyaan across the state scheduled to continue from September 1 to 15 next for de-worming and diarrhoea control.

According to a press release, with continued closure of schools and Anganwadi centres following Covid pandemic, the State Coordination Committee Meeting held on July 26 last has decided to jointly implement NDD programme with Vitamin-A supplementation, Iron Folic Acid (IFA) Supplementation and Integrated Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) programmes under the banner of Mukhyamantri Sustho Shoishob Sustho Kaishore Abhiyaan (MSSSKA) from September 1 to 15 next in all eight districts of the state.

The programmes will ensure convergence among child health interventions having similar targeted population, minimum household visits and minimum exposure while delivering essential services to the community by service providers during COVID-19 pandemic and maximum coverage of targeted children and adolescents.

Several teams comprising of ASHA and Anganwadi workers would administer and distribute the medicines, supplements and ORS in their catchment areas, State Immunization Officer Dr. Mousumi Sarkar said in the press note.

If an ASHA or Anganwadi worker is not available in any area then MPW or ASHA Facilitator or CHO will ensure the coverage.
Deworming tablets (Albendazole 400 mg) and Vitamin-A supplementation will be administered at the household-level by Front Line Workers in the presence of the parent/ guardian/ caregiver while ORS, Zinc tablet (IDCF programme), and IFA syrup/ pink/ blue tablets (IFA supplementation) will be distributed to the target population to consume as per requirement and administration protocol.

As most of the MPWs/CHOs will be engaged in COVID Vaccination and testing activities, the ICDS supervisors and School Teachers would be engaged as first line Supervisors for the teams. One Supervisor will monitor and support 5 teams.

They would also support the CHOs/MPWs for Microplanning preparation and compiling reports. The Block and District level convergence meeting among Health, Social Welfare and Social Education, and Education departments would be held immediately for selection of team wise supervisors and concerned persons to be intimated accordingly.

All the frontline workers (ASHA, ANM/MPW, AWW and Teachers) have been asked to strictly follow the prescribed safety measures in the context of COVID-19. The identified containment zones/ houses that are quarantined will be excluded from the campaign. The campaign will not be conducted in houses with active COVID-19 cases till beneficiary/ household is reported as COVID-19 free.

Meanwhile, Tripura Mission Director of National Health Mission Dr. Siddhartha Shiv Jaiswal and other concerned officials held a training programme two days ago.