AGARTALA, April 7 (TIWN): Tripura Health and Family Welfare department with a joint collaboration of Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura makes the deck ready for the celebration of world health day 2015 on April 7 at Udaipur. Addressing the media persons on Monday at the civil secretariat Minister Badal Chowdhury said that the state govt. has taken up several initiatives to observe the day on April 7, with seminars, rally, free of cost treatment to Heart attack problems and others.

Minister on Monday also unveiled a book – “Health Awareness” published by the State Health and Family Welfare department. Talking to the media persons here today Chowdhury said that one can get release from diseases if he or she follows the daily rules and regulations of health. This can also keep one’s daily livelihood healthy, Chowdhury said adding that water borne diseases especially at Dhalai District of the state along comprising of Kanchanpur Sub-Division,  Amarpur and other hilly terrains has lead to death of many.

Chowdhury said as part of the initiatives of several health awareness camps across the state, Asha, anganwari workers would try their best to conduct the campaign visiting door to door. Adding to it Chiwdhury appealed the Panchayat, Village Committee and other members to extend their helping hands in this regard.

However, with an aim to increase the awareness on health the state health department along with education department, social welfare department and DWS department would work to implement the initiatives across the state as part of the month long programme, Chowdhury said. He said till 2015 February 28 the state has brought an achievement covering 92% with regular vaccination, while the slum areas and the areas under the city could not be covered yet. 

According to sources 76 percent of the target has already been fulfilled till January, this year. It is expected the target will reach up to 92 to 95 percent till the end of 2014-15 Financial Year.

World Health Day is celebrated every year to mark the anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO) that was founded in 1948. Each year, WHO picks a theme that highlights an important area of public health, initiates discussion and calls for action from countries across the globe. This year, the theme is 'food safety' which focuses on the need of safe food that is 'free from microbes, viruses and chemicals'.

According to WHO statistics, food-borne and water-borne diseases kill an estimated 2.2 million people in the world, including many children, annually. It also says that in the South East Asian region, diarrhoeal diseases continue to be one of the top three leading causes of deaths.