NEW DELHI: In an effort to make the nation free from diseases, the Government is rigorously carrying out immunisation programmes like Universal Immunization Programme, one of the largest public health programmes in the world, which targets three crore pregnant women and 2.7 crore new borns annually, officials from the Health ministry say.
Under UIP, more than 90 lakh immunization sessions are conducted annually. It is the most cost-effective public health intervention and largely responsible for reduction of vaccine preventable under-5 mortality rate, official data showed.
New initiatives under UIP include Mission Indradhanush which was launched in December 2014, a targeted programme to immunize children who have either not received vaccines or are partially vaccinated. The activity focuses on districts with maximum number of missed children. Four phases of Mission Indradhanush have been completed wherein 3.38 crores children have been vaccinated, of which 81.67 lakh children have been fully immunised.
In addition, 86.88 lakh pregnant women were vaccinated against tetanus. Under Mission Indradhanush, the annual rate of increase of full immunisation coverage has increased from 1 per cent to 6.7 per cent during the two rounds.
The sixth phase of MI is ongoing in 75 districts across 17 States/UTs from October-December 2018.
Intensified Mission Indradhanush has been launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8, 2017 from Vadnagar, Gujarat. The Intensified Mission Indradhanush has been carried out in 121 districts in 16 states, 52 districts in the North Eastern states and 17 urban areas where immunization coverage has been very low in spite of repeated phases of Mission Indradhanush and in UIP, with an aim to rapidly build up full immunization coverage to more than 90 per cent by December 2018.
In the year gone by, India progressed on the path of providing timely vaccinations and introduction of new vaccines like the Inactivated Polio Vaccine.
India is polio-free but to maintain this status, the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) was introduced and till August 2018, around 6.4 crore doses of IPV have been administered to children since its introduction, the data said.
Japanese Encephalitis is a life-threatening viral disease affecting brain mainly in children aged less than 15 years. However, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) had identified 31 high burden districts from Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for adult JE vaccination in the age-group of 15-65 years.
The Adult JE vaccination campaign has been completed in all 31 districts of Assam, UP, West Bengal, wherein more than 3.29 crore beneficiaries aged 15-65 years were vaccinated.
Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of severe diarrhoea and death among young children. At present, Rotavirus vaccine has been introduced in nine states – Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.
Approximately 2.6 crore doses of Rotavirus vaccine have been administered to children since its introduction till September 2018, the data showed.
Rubella vaccine has been introduced in UIP as Measles-Rubella vaccine to provide protection against congenital birth defects caused by Rubella infection. The campaign has been completed in 20 states/UTs (namely, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka,
Kerala, Lakshadweep, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Manipur, Punjab) and ongoing in eight states/UTs–Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, J&K, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura.
A total of 13.04 crore children vaccinated till October 29, 2018.
Pneumococcal Vaccine was launched in a phased manner in UIP in May 2017 for reducing infant mortality and morbidity caused by pneumococcal pneumonia. It has been launched on May 13, 2017. PCV is given in entire Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, 12 district of Uttar Pradesh and 9 districts of Rajasthan. Till September 2018, around 59.48 lakh children have been covered under it.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program on World Hepatitis Day, on July 28, 2018. It also released the Operational Guidelines for National Viral Hepatitis Control Program, National Laboratory Guidelines for Viral Hepatitis Testing and National Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Viral Hepatitis. The program has been launched with the goal of ending viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the country by 2030. The aim of the initiative is to reduce morbidity and mortality due to viral hepatitis.
The key strategies include preventive and promotive interventions with focus on awareness generation, safe injection practices and socio-cultural practices, sanitation and hygiene, safe drinking water supply, infection control and immunization; co-ordination and collaboration with different Ministries and departments; increasing access to testing and management of viral hepatitis; promoting diagnosis and providing treatment support for patients of hepatitis B & C through standardized testing and management protocols with focus on treatment of hepatitis B and C; building capacities at national, state, district levels and sub-district level up to Primary Health Centres (PHC) and health and wellness centres such that the program can be scaled up till the lowest level of the healthcare facility in a phased manner.
(AGENCIES)
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