-According to Recent data released by the Union Health Ministry’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), 312 of the 1,649 outbreaks reported till the third week of December 2017 were due to acute diarrhoeal disease (ADD) and 242 were due to food poisoning.
-As per the IDSP data, the incidence of ADD and food poisoning is high in those places where food is cooked in bulk, such as canteens, hostels and wedding venues.
-This is not a new phenomenon. Acute diarrhoeal disease and food poisoning have been common outbreaks since 2008. However, food poisoning outbreaks have increased from 50 in 2008 to 242 in 2017.
-ADD cases also have increased from 228 in 2008 to 312 in 2017.
Food Poisoning: Food poisoning or food-borne illness, is caused by eating contaminated food. Infectious organisms including bacteria, viruses and parasites or their toxins are the most common causes.
What is Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP)?
-Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) was launched by Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare in November 2004 for a period upto March 2010. The project was restructured and extended up to March 2012. The project continues in the 12th Plan with domestic budget as Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme under NHM for all States with Budgetary allocation of 640 Cr.
-Under this project, a Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) at Delhi, State Surveillance Units (SSU) at all State/UT head quarters and District Surveillance Units (DSU) at all Districts in the country have been established.
-Its Objectives are; to strengthen/maintain decentralized laboratory based IT enabled disease surveillance system for epidemic prone diseases to monitor disease trends and to detect and respond to outbreaks in early rising phase through trained Rapid Response Team (RRTs).
