RIHFW Kashmir
Orientation and Re-orientation Programmes for Senior and Junior Doctors held under the auspices of the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir
Workshop on prevention and control of water-borne infections
Water is the nectar of life; no life form can be sustained without water. Human body is 63 % water and estimatedly a human being requires about 100 litres of water each day for his sustenance. This water should be safe, potable and sufficient. A multitude of factors, mostly the sad consequence of human growth and modernization, are responsible for progressively increasing shortage and pollution of water all over the world.
It is amply clear that water pollution is the chief cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world and billions suffer from various types of water-borne and water-related infections, infestations and disorders. In India, 60% of all illness is attributed to water pollution and 6 lakh people die yearly from diarrhoea alone. In our State, the situation is no different: water-borne disease forms the main group of morbidity. An average of 32,000 cases of diarrhea are reported monthly between June and August from 6 districts of Kashmir Valley which are evidently underestimates. Viral hepatitis has been simmering with occasional outbreaks, and typhoid fever is endemic. Cholera which entered the Valley during the 1962-pandemic is seen sporadically and in small outbreaks. Ascariasis is found in 90% of children and giardiasis is very common even in infants and children.
With this background, the first 2-day workshop was organized on 14 – 15 March 2000 for the senior health officers (CMO's, DHO's, DIO's, BMO's) and the medical officers of the PHC's across the province. Another such reorientation workshop was held in June 2002, in which a total of 67 doctors participated and interacted on various aspects of water-borne diseases. The 3rd such workshop followed in July 2003, which was attended by 83 trainees from all districts. Epidemiology, management, prevention and control of acute diarrheal diseases, viral hepatitis, and enteric fevers was discussed in detail. Participants were also oriented in preparation of district-level surveillance plans to combat the endemicity and epidemicity of water-borne diseases. Table gives the orientation curriculum of the interactive programme.
Table VI: Training curriculum of workshop on prevention and control of waterborne infections:
Day I:
- Epidemiology of water-borne infection in J and K State: Distribution and underlying factors.
- Endemicity and epidemic potential of water-borne disease: Investigation of an outbreak of water-borne disease – general principles.
- Acute Diarrhoeal Disease: Diagnostic considerations and grading of dehydration
- Acute diarrhoeal disease: Management in the peripheries - Role of ORT in management of diarrhea
Day II:
- Viral hepatitis: clinical features, lab investigations and management.
- Enteric fevers: Endemicity, management and drug resistance
- Use of drugs in the management of water-borne infection. Indications of antibiotic use and WHO guidelines
- Prevention and control of water-borne infection with special reference to J and K State.