"90 pc immunisation coverage under Mission Indradhanush by 2020"
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 04 2017: A media sensitisation workshop under Mission Indradhanush, a health mission of Government of India was organised by Family Welfare Directorate at its premises today.

Speaking on the occasion, Director of Family Welfare Dr K Rajo said that Mission Indradhanush was launched by Union Health Minister JP Nadda on December 25, 2014 and it aims to immunize all children under the age of 2 years, as well as all pregnant women, against seven preventable diseases namely Diptheria, Pertusis, Tetanus, Childhood Tuberculosis, Polio, Hepatitis-B and Measles.

He elaborated that besides the seven diseases, vaccines of Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus Influenza-B are also administered in selected districts under the health mission.

He informed that the fourth and last round of the fourth phase of Mission Indradhanush will be held for seven days starting from May 17.Immunisation against the preventable diseases is done in four months consecutively for every phase.

Immunisation for the fourth phase for this year started from February and it will end this month, he added.

As per a report of Ministry of Health, the rate of immunisation coverage in the country rose to 65 percent in 2013 from 61 percent in 2009, he informed.

Asserting that the mission aims to increase the rate to 90 percent by 2020, he said that such workshop or discussion programme is held as part of every phase of the mission under the instruction of the Ministry.

Dr Rajo maintained that Mission Indradhanush was included in the National Health Policy which was launched by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister on April 29 last.

Timely immunisation can prevent the diseases but many parents still show reluctance to bring their children for the immunisation due to lack of knowledge, unaware of spots for immunisation, absence of medical staff and several other factors, he observed.

The districts covered by the fourth phase of the mission are Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Ukhrul and Chandel.

Besides District Hospitals, PHCs and PHSCs, immunisations will also be done in designated youth clubs and Churches, he informed.

He further informed that vaccines for the diseases are stored in different cold chain points which can be monitored under Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (EVIN) .

State Nodal Officer (Immunisation) Dr Kh Nandakishore who attended the occasion said that implementation of the first, second and third phase of the mission for Manipur was successful.

He recalled that a total of 201, 357 and 265 districts of the country were selected for the first, second and third phase respectively.

He informed that four districts of the State were amongst the total 67 districts selected for the fourth phase.

He assured that there will be no shortage of vaccines for the fourth phase in the State.

Senior Project Officer of United Nations Development Programme, Sarat Yadav also spoke on the occasion.

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