The World Health Organisation (WHO) is utilising India's existing polio network to support the government's ambitious 'Mission Indradhanush' as well as other routine immunisation strengthening programmes.
For the purpose, more than 300 medical officers of WHO India, spread across the country, have been involved in the training of officers and frontline workers in various states and districts, WHO Representative to India Nata Menabde said.
"In addition, over 2,000 field monitors have been deployed by WHO India to monitor the quality of immunisation activities and provide real-time feedback to the government on the implementation process and quality of immunisation coverage in the targeted high risk populations," Menabde told PTI in an interview.
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Launched last December, 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.
Talking about WHO's association with the Mission, Menabde said, "The WHO Country Office for India has been providing strategic and technical guidance to the government on RI strengthening as well as introducing new vaccines under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) with the purpose of strengthening routine immunisation in the country."
"Intensive efforts are also being undertaken to accelerate action to increase awareness and demand for immunisation by communities and provide improved vaccination delivery services," she added.
WHO India is also helping in capacity-building of health staff, developing field guidelines and training material for meticulous planning of immunisation activities, and intensive monitoring of routine immunisation activities, she said.
