Intensified Mission Indradhanush

Intensified Mission Indradhanush

News: The Union Health Minister has launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 4.0.

Details:
• The IMI 4.0 will have three rounds and will be conducted in 416 districts (including 75 districts identified for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav) across 33 States and UTs, a Health Ministry statement said.
• It will immensely contribute in filling the gaps and make lasting gains towards universal immunisation.
• It will ensure that Routine Immunisation (RI) services reach the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant women” he said.

What is Mission Indradhanush ?
• With the aim to increase the full immunisation coverage, the PM launched Mission Indradhanush in December 2014.It aimed to cover the partially and unvaccinated pregnant women and children in pockets of low immunisation coverage, high-risk and hard-to-reach areas and protect them from vaccine preventable diseases.The first two phases of the Mission resulted in 6.7% increase in full immunisation coverage in a year.
• It aims to immunize all children under the age of 2 years, as well as all pregnant women, against eight vaccine-preventable diseases.The diseases being targeted are diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis, measles, meningitis and Hepatitis B.
• In 2016, four new additions have been made namely Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis, Injectable Polio Vaccine Bivalent and Rotavirus.In 2017, Pneumonia was added to the Mission by incorporating the Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine under Universal Immunisation Programme