New Delhi (NVI): Setting its sights on UN Sustainable Development Goal of ending preventable child deaths by 2030 in Indian context, government is set to go full throttle to achieve 100% immunisation across all states while counting on its experience and expertise of making the country polio free.
Its ambitious flagship programme for the purpose, Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI), will enter its second and more proactive phase in a big way from 2nd December 2019 with several ministries pitching in to make it a success.
The IMI 2.0, which will be launched by Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan from 2nd December to continue till March 2020, targets full immunization coverage in 272 districts in 27 States and shall be implemented in the block level (652 blocks) in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, even among hard-to-reach and tribal populations.
Ministry of Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs, among others will come together to ensure that the benefits of vaccines reach the last mile, an official statement said.
IMI-1 was launched from Vadnagar in 2017 and the concept been given a strong push in the far reaching Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan and Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan too.
Ahead of the IMI 2.0 launch, Dr Vardhan today reviewed the preparedness in this regard in a high-level meeting with top officials concerned from various states, including State Principal Secretaries and NHM Mission Directors and Immunization Officers. Health Ministers from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha were also present during the Video Conference (VC) review here.
Dr Vardhan emphasised the importance of immunisation of children and pregnant women as part of the IMI 2.0.
“While we are required to achieve 90% immunisation coverage target, we should all aim to ensure that not even one child dies of vaccine preventable diseases. Especially when we have a basket of vaccines as part of our routine Universal Immunisation Program (UIP),” Dr Vardhan said.
The Union Health Minister added that “we can take lessons from our immense experience of the polio campaign where in addition to wholehearted efforts from the states, various non-state partners and stakeholders had joined hands to achieve set targets.”
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