The government launches Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) for a greater vaccine coverage across India. The initiative was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Vadnagar in Gujarat.
- Through this programme, Government of India aims to reach each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme against seven vaccine preventable diseases
- The diseases being targeted are diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles and Hepatitis B. In addition to these, vaccines for Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenzae type B are also being provided in selected states. Four new additions have been made namely Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis, Injectable Polio Vaccine Bivalent and Rotavirus.
- The special drive will focus on improving immunization coverage in select districts and cities to ensure full immunization to more than 90% by December 2018.
- The target of at least 90% coverage was to have been achieved by 2020. With the launch of IMI, the date has now been advanced.
Important facts:
- The four phases of Mission Indradhanush will reach to more than 2.53 crore children and 68 lakh pregnant women with life-saving vaccines across India.
- High priority districts and urban areas have been identified under the IMI and four consecutive immunisation rounds between October 2017 and January 2018 will take place across 7 days in 173 districts. These districts include 52 in eight northeastern states and 121 in 16 other states
- The programme will cover low performing areas in the selected districts and cities.These areas have been selected through triangulation of data available under national surveys, Health Management Information System data and World Health Organization concurrent monitoring data.
- Special attention will be given to unserved/low coverage pockets in sub-centre and urban slums with migratory population.
- The focus is also on the urban settlements and cities identified under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).
- The prime minister also inaugurated the GMERS Medical College, Vadnagar, and launched the Innovative Mobile Phone Technology for Community Health Operation (ImTeCHO) for improving coverage of community-based maternal, neonatal and infant health services.
- PM expressed satisfaction at the success of the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan under which private doctors volunteer to provide free ANC services to pregnant women on the 9th day of every month, alongside government doctors.
- IMI will have inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination, action-based review mechanism and intensified monitoring and accountability framework for effective implementation of targeted rapid interventions to improve the routine immunization coverage.
- IMI is based on information received from gap assessment, supervision through government, concurrent monitoring by partners, and end-line surveys
- IMI is supported by 11 other ministries and departments, such as Ministry of Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs among others.
- The convergence of ground level workers of various departments like ASHA, ANMs, Anganwadi workers, Zila preraks under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM), self-help groups will be ensured for better coordination
Monitoring of the Mission:
- Intensified Mission Indradhanush, IMI, would be closely monitored at the district, state and central level at regular intervals. Further, it would be reviewed by the cabinet secretary at the national level and will continue to be monitored at the highest level under a special initiative, ‘Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI)’.
- The IMI programme is supported by 12 ministries and departments
- Under IMI, special strategies are devised for rigorous monitoring of the programme. States and districts have developed coverage improvement plans based on gap self-assessment
- These plans are reviewed from state to central level
- An appreciation and awards mechanism has also been set up to recognise the districts reaching a vaccination coverage of over 90 per cent.
- The criteria includes best practices and media management during crisis. To acknowledge the contribution of the partners/Civil Society Organisation and others, Certificate of Appreciation will be given.
♦Pradeep Gautam
Sources:
pib.
Livemint
Moneycontrol
India Today
Economic times
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