Lauding the role of Aasha workers for reaching out to the unreached and downtrodden children, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Asiea Naqash on Tuesday that Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) should be a “big success” across the state.Inaugurating day-long workshop on Mission Indradhanush at Banquet Hall Srinagar, Asiea said there was a greater need to reach out to the uncovered areas of the State. She narrated the anecdotes from across the State over many issues pertaining to the children and pregnant mothers.The Minister said that Mission Indradhanush should be publicized on a large scale and special drive to vaccinate all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children under Universal Immunization Program should be achieved on priority basis.“We should focus on this Mission as this is of a greater importance and it will be a great service t the nation,” she said.“We should also keep in mind the pregnant women and the children in the areas that remain untouched. We should work for their wellbeing,” the minister told the participants. “Aasha workers are doing commendable job and we should use their strength to make this mission a great success.”
The minister urged that the slogan of the mission was very impressive and it should be publicized though every mass mediums.”Be wise: Get your child fully immunized. It should reach to the grassroots,” Naqash said.The Minister was informed that the Phase-II of Mission Indradhanush will be launched on October 07, 2015 and target 297 medium focus districts in all over india including six districts from Jammu and Kashmir that is Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kulgam, Kupwara and Jammu with four rounds of activity planned between October 2015 and January 2016.“We have many challenges in the Health department. Hepatitis C in Anantnag is one such big challenge. We should try to work in close coordination and focus on a strategy to give the recommendations as how to stop the virus from spreading,” Naqash said.Secretary Health and Medical Education Dr. Mandeep K Bhandari, Director Family Welfare Dr. Baldev Raj Sharma, among CMOs DIOs, BMOs and other senior officers of Health Department were present on the occasion.
Pertinently Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) has launched Mission Indradhanush on 25th December 2014 with the aim of expanding immunization coverage to all children across India by year 2020. The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, targets to immunize all children against seven vaccine preventable diseases namely Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Childhood Tuberculosis, Polio, Hepatitis B and Measles.According to officials in the health department, in addition to this, vaccines for JE (Japanese Encephalitis) and Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B) are also being provided in selected states. Immunization is the key to protect children from life threatening conditions that are preventable. As per MOHFW, immunization coverage in India has increased from 61% to 65% only from 2009-2013. So, MOHFW has decided to intensify its efforts in immunization though this mission.
Secretary Health and Medical Education Dr. Mandeep K Bhandari said that web should have a credible and up-to-date data of the children vaccinated in the districts. He urged the officials to work for the head count and come up with the credible data.“Although this is an achievement that we have come a long way as far as the health sector of this state is concerned. However we should work in close coordination to get children immunized at different levels of their development,” he said.Director Family Welfare Dr. Baldev Raj Sharma, told the participants that the main objectives of Mission Indradhanush were that the government intends to cover 201 high focus districts in the first phase of year 2015. These districts have nearly 50 per cent of all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children. Out of these 201 districts, 82 districts lie in just four states of India namely, UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.Nearly 25 per cent of the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children of India live in these 82 districts of 4 states. Furthermore, another 297 districts are being targeted in the second phase of year 2015. Earlier, the participants were told that the Phase-I of Mission Indradhanush targeted 201 high focused districts with four rounds of activity planned between April, 2015 to July, 2015which included five districts of Jammu province included Doda, Ramban, Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajouri.