SAANS Campaign 2023-24
Manipur State Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh inaugurated SAANS Campaign 2023-24 in Imphal. The Minister also dedicated the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal as the State Neonatal Resource Centre.
About SAANS Mission
SAANS, which stands for Social Awareness and Action to Neutralize Pneumonia, is an annual campaign implemented across states and union territories. The primary objective of SAANS is to accelerate action against childhood pneumonia, a leading cause of child death.
SAANS Mission Features
1. Reducing child mortality: The SAANS mission aims to reduce child mortality due to pneumonia, which accounts for approximately 15% of all deaths in children under five years of age annually.
2. Public Awareness Campaign: SAANS will launch a public awareness campaign to educate communities about effective pneumonia prevention strategies. This includes promoting practices such as breastfeeding, age-appropriate complementary feeding and vaccination.
Campaign Mandate
1. Treatment by ASHA workers: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers will play a vital role in the treatment of children suffering from pneumonia by giving pre-referral doses of the antibiotic amoxicillin.
2. Use of pulse oximeter: Health and wellness centers will use pulse oximeters, devices that monitor oxygen saturation, to detect low oxygen levels in the child's blood. This proactive approach ensures early identification and intervention in cases of pneumonia.
Government's pneumonia mitigation targets
1. 2025 target: The government aims to reduce pneumonia deaths among children to less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025.
2. Integrated Action Plan: In 2014, India launched the 'Integrated Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhea' to coordinate joint efforts in reducing diarrhea and pneumonia-related mortality in children under five years of age. IAPPD)' established.
Summary
- SAANS Campaign Launched: Manipur Health Minister inaugurated the SAANS Campaign 2023-24 in Imphal, which focuses on ramping up efforts against childhood pneumonia.
- JNIMS as Neonatal Resource Centre: Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) is now the State Neonatal Resource Centre, strengthening Manipur's dedication towards child health care.
- SAANS Mission Goals: SAANS aims to reduce child mortality from pneumonia, which contributes 15% of under-five deaths annually.
- Campaign order: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) will treat children suffering from pneumonia, and health centers will use pulse oximeters to detect low oxygen levels.
- Government targets: The government aims to reduce childhood pneumonia deaths to less than three per 1,000 live births by 2025, following an integrated action plan established in 2014.