The government today launched a major 15-day media campaign to educate the masses on immunisation, ahead of implementing its ambitious health programme 'Mission Indradhanush' in April.
Union Health Minister J P Nadda today gave a clarion call to all members of the society including MPs, MLAs and health professionals to join the mission to ensure that not a single child in the country was left out of the immunisation programme.
Depicting seven colours of the rainbow, 'Mission Indradhanush' aims to cover by 2020 all such children, who are either unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine-preventable diseases -- diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sent his message on the launch and congratulated the Health Ministry for undertaking the initiative and extended his best wishes for its success. He also appealed to the parents and guardians of all children to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated.
Modi's message was read out by the Health Secretary B P Sharma at the launch.
"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.
"Not only the MPs but also MLAs should be roped into the programme to ensure that not a single child in India is left out of the immunisation programme," Nadda said.
His Ministry, he said, will hold workshops for MPs and MLAs and also distribute brochures related to the programme so that they can take it to the communities and families in their areas.
"As state government's play a vital role in the programme, I have spoken to chief ministers, state health secretaries for success of the mission. No child should suffer from a disease for which vaccination is available," he said.
The mission in addition, will also provide vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenza Type B will be provided in selected districts.
Focus will be on 201 high-priority districts with largest number of partially-vaccinated and unvaccinated children during the first phase, Additional Secretary, Health Ministry, C K Mishra said.
Under 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 immunisation.
