BackHealth ministry launches mission to address immunisation problems in urban areas
A total of 118 districts, 17 urban areas and 52 districts of north east states will be targeted under Intensified Mission Indradhanush to address immunisation issues
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New Delhi: Finding gaps in immunisation in urban areas, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday launched an Intensified Mission Indradhanush to map underserved populations in urban areas.
The ministry noted that the first two phases of Mission Indradhanush led to an increase of 6.7% full immunization coverage in one year. Prior to the launch of the programme the immunisation coverage was just 1%. This increase has been more prominent in rural areas as compared to urban areas.
With the aim of accelerating the full immunization coverage and provide greater focus on urban areas and other pockets of low immunization coverage, the Union health ministry has drawn up an action plan to achieve the target by 2018.
A total of 118 districts, 17 urban areas and 52 districts of north east states will be targeted under Intensified Mission Indradhanush. Interestingly, the ministry will utilise spots on trains and railway stations; railway stationary like tickets etc., for immunization branding.
“Under Intensified Mission Indradhanush, greater focus will be given on urban areas which were one of the gaps of Mission Indradhanush. This will be done through mapping of all underserved population in urban areas and need-based deployment of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM) for providing vaccination services in these areas," health ministry officials said.
Every district identified for Intensified Mission Indradhanush will be monitored by partners through an identified nodal person for each district. Further, emphasis will also be given on integration of Intensified Mission Indradhanush sessions into routine immunization microplans after completion of four rounds of Intensified Mission Indradhanush," officials said.
There will be a greater focus on convergence with other ministries/departments especially women and child development, panchayati raj, urban development and youth affairs. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of India prevents mortality and morbidity in children and pregnant women against 12 vaccine preventable diseases.
In the past it has been seen that the increase in immunization coverage had slowed down and it increased at the rate of 1% per year between 2009 and 2013. To accelerate this coverage Mission Indradhanush was envisaged and implemented since 2015 to rapidly increase the full immunization coverage to 90%.
Four phases of Mission Indradhanush have been completed in 528 districts across the country. More than 2.47 crore children and around 67 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated under Mission Indradhanush so far.
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