Government intensifies mission Indradhanush to expand coverage

PSM News /

Mumbai, August, 2017

 

Government has stepped up its efforts to increase full immunization coverage, with greater focus on urban areas and pockets where coverage so far has been abysmal.

 

“Health ministry has drawn an aggressive action plan to achieve the target by 2018. States will conduct intensified Mission Indradhanush drives for seven working days from 7th day of every month starting from 7th October 2017 for four consecutive months…” the ministry said in a statement.

 

A total of 118 districts, 17 urban areas and 52 districts of North East states will be targeted under the intensified programme.

 

“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 for providing vaccination services in these areas.”

 

There will be a robust monitoring mechanism in place at the centre as well as at the state level to review the preparations and progress.

 

A distinctive feature of the intensified programme is that there is greater focus on convergence with other ministries, especially women and child development, panchayati raj, urban development, youth affairs etc.

 

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.

 

The first two phases of Mission Indradhanush led to an increase of 6.7% full immunization coverage in 1 year as compared to 1% increase in the past. This increase has been more prominent in rural areas as compared to urban areas.