Mission Indradhanush launched in State
Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, April 07 2015 : The Central Government's special catch up drive to raise the number of vaccinated children in the country � Mission Indradhanush was officially launched in the State today, three months after it was launched by the Prime Minister at the National level.

The mission that will touch four out of the State's nine districts with very low rate of immunization coverage was launched by Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing at YPA Hall here in the presence of top officials of the Health Department.

The four districts to be covered under the mission are Churachandpur, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul.

Addressing the function, Phungzathang Tonsing said the mission was specially designed to vaccinate the otherwise unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children and make them more capable to withstand the seven dreaded diseases of diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B .

Mission Indradhanush launched in State

He also urged the public to spread awareness among ignorant parents about the benefits of vaccination.

Briefing the media on the sidelines of the function, Health Director Dr Ibomcha said in addition to the targeted seven diseases under the mission, vaccination will be carried out for Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Haemophilus Influenza Type B (hib) will be provided in the selected districts.

He said that in the present scenario, one out of every three child does not receive all the vaccine that are available under the Universal Immunisation Programme of the Government in the four districts that are in focus and added that the Mission will reach out to the unreached children and pregnant women through house-to-house interventions.

With Churachandpur recording merely 18.80 percent of immunization coverage, 182 sessions are planned under the scheme with an allocated staff of 77 ANMs and 173 ASHA/AWW workers.

Senapati with 47.70 percent will have 306 interventions through 164 ANMs and 402 ASHA workers; Tamenglong with 29.70 percent will have 126 sessions with the involvement of 48 ANMs and 126 ASHA workers.

Ukhrul with 33.80 percentage of immunization coverage is allocated 117 interventions involving 70 ANMs, half of which will be hired, and 116 ASHA workers.

A total of 201 districts have been identified as high focus districts in the country and the four hill districts are included among them as it has all recorded less than 50 percent of immunization coverage.

With the mission's implementation, the Government has expected to improve the existing National immunization rate from 65 percent to 90 percent by 2020 .

State Ayush Director, Dr K Lokendro, the Director of Family Welfare Dr K Rajo and several top health officials of the State have also attended the function that was also addressed by the DC of Churachandpur, Lunminthang Haokip.