Mission to Ensure Immunization for All Children in India

Ahead of implementing Mission Indradhanush in April, the government of India has launched a major 15-day media campaign to educate the masses on immunization. The objective of the most ambitious government project is not leave behind even a single child out of the immunization program. Considered to be the most ambitious government program in healthcare, Mission Indradhanush depicts the seven colors of the rainbow and aims to cover all children, who are either not vaccinated or are partially vaccinated against seven preventable diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B by 2020.

JP Nadda, Union Health Minister, said, "Not only the MPs but also MLAs should be roped into the program to ensure that not a single child in India is left out of the immunization."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the effort and sent a message saying, "India is vast and there are remote areas and a section of population which is always moving and to target children in all these areas, we have to work on micro-level details".

Vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenza Type B will also be provided in selected districts. During the first phase, focus will be on 201 high-priority districts with largest number of partially vaccinated and non-vaccinated children.

In the second phase, 297 more districts will be covered as part of the programme. The campaign, involves advertisements, jingles, workshops and a host of other activities to sensitise the masses about the benefits of immunization.

Source-Medindia