The Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Jagat Prakash Nadda addressing at the launch of the Media Campaign of “Mission Indradhanush”, in New Delhi on March 23, 2015. The UNICEF Representative for India, Mr. Louis-Georges Arsenault, the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. BP Sharma, the Chairperson, Rotary India National Polio Plus Committee, Mr. Deepak Kapur, the Director General Health Services, Dr. Jagdish Prasad and other dignitaries are also seen.
‘Mission Indradhanush’ Media Campaign
New Delhi (PIB-GR-TYP-BIN): The Minister for Health & Family Welfare Mr. JP Nadda sought the cooperation and support of various stakeholders, including civil society, development partners, states, political leaders and the media for creating awareness regarding the importance to fully immunize every child against all vaccine preventable diseases in the country. He was speaking at the launch the multi-media campaign of Mission Indradhanush, at a function on March 23.
Mission Indradhanush depicting seven colours of the rainbow, aims to cover all those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.
The Prime Minister, in a message sent for the media launch of the Mission Indradhanush, expressed happiness that the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has launched the nationwide initiative to protect children from seven life threatening diseases that can be easily prevented by vaccines. He congratulated the Ministry for taking up this 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.
Speaking on the occasion, the Health Minister reiterated the importance of immunization for all children. “A nation cannot be healthy when its children, who are its most valuable assets, are not healthy. This can happen when we immunize all children against all vaccine preventable diseases”. To accelerate the process of immunization by covering 5% and more children every year, the Mission Mode has been adopted to achieve target of full coverage by 2020.
The Health Minister stated that the micro plans developed to make the Mission mode successful will draw on the lessons learned from the Polio eradication towards systems strengthening, vaccine cold chain management, regular surveillance and monitoring of the plans to reach each and every left out and uncovered child.
The Minister appealed to parents and guardians to participate in the Mission Indradhanush to ensure that no child is left uncovered during the rounds that will commence soon.
Terming media as a powerful instrument that can bring about an everlasting change in the society through changing mind-sets and generating awareness about various issues, the Minister said that he looks at them to guide the Ministry at various stages in its endeavor to successfully implement the ambitious Mission.
Health Secretary Mr. Bhanu Pratap Sharma underscored the challenges that face the effective implementation of the Mission given the scale of the country and the difficulties in reaching children living in rural and remote areas, riverine mining units, far flung and remote hamlets etc. He stated that the team of AHSAs and ANMs are committed in their endeavor to make the Mission a success.
He said that the Ministry has particularly paid attention to systems strengthening and capacity building of the frontline workers in this Mission Mode.
Mr. Louis-Georges Arsenault, UNICEF Representative, India, Dr Nata Menabde, WHO Representative, India, Mr. Deepak Kapur, Chairperson, Rotary India National PolioPlus Committee, Professor Laxminarayan Ramanan, Vice President, PHFI –ITSU, Dr. Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, Health Ministry and other senior officers of the Health Ministry, representatives from several states, development partners and media were present at the function.
(Source: PIB/GR/TYP/BIN/USPA/WN)