The Government of India announced “Mission Indradhanush” in December 2014 in an effort to speed up the full immunisation coverage for all children and expectant women and to enhance and reenergize the programme. It was launched by Union Health Minister J.P Nadda on 25 December 2014 .
The Mission focuses on interventions to improve full immunization coverage for children in India from 65% in 2014 to at least 90% earlier than 2020, this will be done through special catch‐up drives. Under Mission Indradhanush, the government has identified 216 high focus districts across the country. The states of Uttar Pradesh (55 high focus districts) and Bihar (19 high focus districts) account for 38% and 10%, respectively, of the total missed children. The states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh and Assam, with a total of 61 high focus districts, account for 30% of the total missed children.
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Goal of Mission Indradhanush
The ultimate goal of Mission Indradhanush is to ensure full immunization with all available vaccines for children up to two years of age and pregnant women. The Government has identified 201 high focus districts across 28 states in the country that have the highest number of partially immunized and unimmunized children.
Earlier the increase in full immunization coverage was 1% per year which has increased to 6.7% per year through the first two phases of Mission Indradhanush. Four phases of Mission Indradhanush have been conducted till August 2017 and more than 2.53 crore children and 68 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated.
Objectives
- Generating a high demand for immunization services by addressing communication challenges;
- Enhancing political, administrative and financial commitment through advocacy with key stakeholders; and
- Ensuring that the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children are fully immunized as per the national immunization schedule
Vaccination is being provided against eight vaccine-preventable diseases nationally, i.e. Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, severe form of Childhood Tuberculosis and Hepatitis B and meningitis & pneumonia caused by Haemophilus influenza type B; and against Rotavirus Diarrhea and Japanese Encephalitis in selected states and districts respectively
For More information please visit https://www.nhp.gov.in/mission-indradhanush1_pg
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