Karnataka Govt Launched Campaign “SAANS”

Karnataka’s Health and Medical Education Minister, Keshava Reddy Sudhakar has launched the Campaign ‘Social Awareness and Action to Neutralise Pneumonia Successfully’ (SAANS) on the day of 20th April 2022.

Aim- The goal of this campaign is to minimize under-five mortality to 23/1,000 live births by the year 2025. In order to fulfil the National Health Policy objectives, pneumonia mortality is required to be reduced to less than 3 per 1,000 live births, as per the minister.

It also aims to mobilize people to safeguard kids from pneumonia and train the health workers to provide accurate treatment to curb the disease.

The Minister also inaugurated the Paediatric ICU (PICU) at K.C. General hospital stated that an exclusive 100-bed maternity facility like the Vani Vilas Maternity Hospital will be set up. The existing 10-bed PICU at K.C. General has been upgraded with assistance from 2 donor organisations.

Talking further about it, the disease Pneumonia is a lung infection that is caused because of a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. As per SRS 2018, Karnataka’s under-five mortality is 28 per 1000 live births.

Karnataka is taking many initiatives for this, they are doing community awareness generation via extensive mass media and digital campaigns about pneumonia have been brought up by the State. To generate some awareness, ASHA workers have also been bought in. Also, across the state, facility-level administration for severe pneumonia is being strengthened. Along with this, skill stations are being made up and the healthcare givers are also being given skill-based training. All healthcare providers in the state are taking up screening of the children who are under 5 for management and early identification of pneumonia.

I think they have taken a good step.