Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 179/15

MISSION INDRADHANUSH LAUNCHED

Shillong, April 7, 2015: The Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills District, Mr. Sanjay Goyal launched Mission Indradhanush today at Ganesh Das Hospital, Shillong. The program was organized by the Department of Health and Family Welfare under the aegis of National Health Mission, East Khasi Hills District, Shillong.

While addressing the gathering Mr. Sanjay Goyal expressed his concern about the 40 per cent partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children due to the ignorance of their parents. Stressing on the rights and importance of Child Health Care system, he said that it is the utmost duty of the parents to ensure right immunization at the right time for their children. He further urge upon the medical officers and staff to impressed upon and ensure that the partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children are fully immunized as desired and also advised the people to take full advantage of this special immunization program.

In her address, Dr. R M Lamare, District Medical & Health Officer, said that despite the efforts in the past to improve Immunization Programme in the country, only 65 per cent children in India receive all vaccines during their first year of life with nearly 89 lakh children remaining deprived of all vaccine that are available under the routine immunization program. Based on a comprehensive risk analysis, 201 high focus Districts in India has been identified that account for nearly 50 per cent of all partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children in the Country, she added. Dr. Lamare informed that East Khasi Hills District in Meghalaya is also one of these 201 Districts and has 9217 partially vaccinated or unvaccinated children.

She mentioned that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have launched Mission Indradhanush with the objective of reaching out to these unreached children and pregnant women through targeted interventions. The mission focuses its efforts in high risk areas like urban/periurban slums, brick kilns, construction sites, areas with measles and diphtheria outbreaks and other with weak routine immunization coverage identified through pulse polio program, surveillance, concurrent monitoring etc. additionally, areas where regular routine immunization sessions are not being held either because they are hard to reach or the sub-centres have been vacant or ANM has been on long leave will be focus upon, she stated.

Dr. Lamare further reiterated that as part of the mission four Intensified Routine Immunization phases are recommended every month between April, 2015 and July, 2015 involving all Health Workers particularly ANMs for a period of 7 days to ensure high coverage.

Medical Superintendent, Ganesh Das Hospital, Dr. T Wahlang was also present at the function.