Odisha government today launched a three-month long awareness campaign to educate the people about the vector and water borne diseases.

Health and Family welfare secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda inaugurated the awareness campaign ratha as well as an information sheet and a booklet on the proper management of the diseases. Dr Meherda said, every year the awareness campaign is launched before the onset of rainy season for a period of 15 days. But in the current year, the campaign period would be first extended from 15 days to one month and then to three months, he said.

In the campaign programmes, various departments of the state government particularly the panchayati raj department, drinking water, school and mass education, women and child welfare and industries department have been included. This apart, the Ananganwadi workers, office bearers of Gaon Kalyan Samiti, ASHA karmi and teachers would be roped in to spread the message of awareness. The secretary said, keeping in view the rainy season adequate quantity of saline and medicines have been stocked in different hospitals to handle the situation.