THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health awareness programmes are set to get a major boost in the state as students will be roped in for spreading messages on ways to check communicable diseases. Named as ‘Jagratholsavam’, the programme being launched by Haritha Keralam Mission will cover nearly 20,000 wards in the state. According to Mission vice-chairperson T N Seema, students belonging to the age group of 10 to 14 years will be made part of the project as they will be designated as ‘cleanliness ambassadors’. It is learnt that as part of the initiative students will be equipped to carry out door-to-door visits stressing the need to make the surroundings clean and to keep communicable diseases at bay.
“’Jagratholsavam’ is being launched to bolster the Arogya Jagratha campaign of the Health Department. Not only the students but the parents will also become part of this initiative. It will come as a joint effort of Kudumbashree, Kerala State Literacy Mission, Haritha Keralam Mission, Suchitwa Mission and the Health Department,” said Seema.According to the vice-chairperson, while a state-level training programme for resource persons, officers, prerakhs and others were completed, training sessions at the district, block and panchayat levels is ongoing.
“As per the plan we were planning to conduct ward-level camps in the third week of April. We have entrusted the Balasabhas of Kudumbashree to conduct camps. Children who will become a major part of this project will sensitise the people on the need to adopt scientific waste management techniques, to check mosquito breeding and others,” said Seema.
Meanwhile, Health Department officials tips that by roping in students the pre-monsoon drive against infectious diseases will get a fillip as they will embark on house campaigns, creating public awareness of the threat of infectious diseases and educating people on the need to make their surroundings clean.
It was in January that the Health Department launched a year-long drive campaign named Arogya Jagratha, against contagious diseases. The department which then had released a list of clear-cut objectives to be followed by various departments, including Local Administration, Revenue, Water Authority, Labour, Social Justice, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Public Works, Fisheries, Food Safety, SC/ST, Home and Railways, during the campaign had stated it will convene a monthly review meeting to assess the performance of each department.