National Urdu Editors’ Conference on Routine Immunization

New Delhi, April 22, 2014:

UNICEF in partnership with Shikhar organized the Second National Urdu Editors’ Conference on Routine Immunization in the capital today.

The day long brainstorming focused on how various stakeholders including media can highlight the importance of vaccination for saving children’s lives. Several eminent Urdu editors, doctors including Unani medicine practitioners and academicians attended the meet.

While India has one of the largest immunization programs in the world, (in terms of number of number of children covered and geographical reach), it still reports deaths of about 1.4 million children (below the age of five years) annually. These deaths are largely from preventable diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, malnutrition and new born complications like sepsis. A highly cost-effective way of preventing these fatal diseases is Routine Immunization, which is one of the most successful public health initiatives and can prevent around 400,000 child deaths each year in India alone.

The round table was organized ahead of the World Immunization Week, and the theme for this year’s edition is “Are you up to date?” which is a direct appeal to parents and caregivers to inform themselves about immunization and make sure that their families are protected with vaccines. The conference highlighted the need to reach unimmunized children in hard-to-reach areas and belonging to vulnerable communities. It also dwelt on strategies to increase in-depth coverage and analysis articles by the media on Routine Immunization (RI).

Dr. Khwaja Ikramuddin, Director, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language and Ms Caroline Den Dulk, Chief of Communication, UNICEF India opened the discussions and the experts included Mr.Syed Faisal Ali, Editor, Almi Sahara, Mr.Shakeel Akhtar, Bureau Chief, BBC Urdu, Mr. Yusuf Ansari, Editor Channel One, Mr.Wasim ul Haq, Editor, Akhbare Mashriq, Ms.Waseem Rasheed, Editor, Chauthi Duniya, and Mr. Khalid Anwar,Editor Hamara Samaj.

Addressing the gathering, Mr S.M.Khan, Director General, DD News, called for a collaborative effort by various media to ensure a 360 degree coverage of health issues including RI. He said that Doordarshan’s vast network and use of easy-to-understand Urdu language in its programs, could be leveraged to reach out to migrants and populations in difficult-to-reach regions. Giving a commitment on behalf of the Urdu editors to ensure better and informed coverage of RI nationally, Mr Khan emphasized on the need to empower the journalists’ to cover RI in a more sustained manner.

Dr. Khwaja Ikramuddin, Director NCPUL urged Urdu media houses to regularly come out with news reports and editorials on immunization among minorities. He said that inadequate number of health journalists and their lack of in-depth knowledge on the issue, are a deterrent in ensuring coverage of such topics.

Participants emphasized that use of local language can reinforce instant message recall and brand recognition of immunization and child survival, as is the case of the RI tagline Bhool Na Jana Tika Lagwana.

Emphasizing UNICEF’s focus on equity, Ms Caroline Den Dulk, said, “ All children have the right to survive and thrive and vaccines protect children for a lifetime. This World Immunization Week we are partnering with diverse stakeholders to keep the focus on reaching out to the most vulnerable and marginalized children. Radio and Urdu media play a significant role in strengthening these efforts”

Participating in the deliberations, Prof Akhtrul Wasay, Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities said, “We cannot expect to create massive awareness on this critical child survival issue without active participation of diverse stakeholders including the media, academic institutions, young people and other opinion leaders.”

It was decided at the conference that several capacity-building workshops would be organized from time to time for the Urdu journalists to help them be equipped with in-depth knowledge and thereby come up with write ups, editorials and edutainment based television programs on RI.

Special- World Immunization Week

India’s Universal Immunization Programme is the largest in the world. Every year around nine million routine immunization.

In India, Routine Immunization (RI) programme caters to a birth cohort of 27 million infants and 30 million pregnant women saving the lives of 400,000 children annually.

The full Immunization coverage in India has increased from 35.5 per cent in 1992-93 to 61 per cent in 2009. About 31 per cent are partially immunized and 8 per cent are not immunized at all. Out of 27 million children born in India every year, 7.2 million children still miss out on basic vaccines that could mean the difference between life and death.

The poorest and the most marginalized children are excluded, despite being those who need immunization the most. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to shield children from illness with vaccination – especially the most vulnerable.We cannot rest until the lives of all children everywhere are protected through immunization. Each and every one of us has a responsibility to shield our children from illness with vaccination – especially the most vulnerable.

Vaada Zindagi Ka

Creative strategy & objective:

To create a cost effective outreach program that connects with parents and serves as a constant reminder for Routine Immunisation.

The insight:

The moment a child is born every parent, if not out loud, makes a commitment to keep their baby safe from all harm. Little do they realize that the biggest danger that a child is faced with is the lack of regular immunization.
Even before the origin of the idea, it was clear that it must cut across all platforms, socio economic groups and media. Since this is a problem that affects lesser educated or lower income groups, the idea should also be simple yet powerful enough to tug at everyone’s heartstrings alike.

The idea:

VAADA ZINDAGI KA
Or
THE PROMISE OF LIFE
The parents have brought the child to life and this idea will reinforce the commitment they have made. It is a simple enough line that carries a lot of weight. The promise that we are referring, and one that must be brought across is one that every person parent or not makes to the child. Which is to keep them safe, take care of them, never let anything bad happen to them among others.
So we have created a pledge card for this promise of life.
At the back of this pledge card is the RI Schedule.When the individual sighns a pledge card he/she will be given this Pledge card as a nice photo frame that will serve as a constant reminder in their homes for checking up on routine immunization.

PROMISE OF LIFE PLEDGE CARD

 

Vaccination drive against Japanese Encephalitis in three dists from May 5

PATNA: Bihar government is going to launch a special vaccination drive against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) from May 5 in three districts: Jamui, Sheikhpura and Lakhisarai. In the special drive, children in the age of 1-5 will be administered the JE vaccine.

Last year 12 cases of JE were detected in Bihar. JE vaccination campaign was launched in 2007 and till date, 19 districts of districts of the state have already been covered, said state immunization officer Dr N K Sinha. They include Patna, Nawada, Bhojpur, Muzaffarpur, Siwan, Gopalganj, Aurangabad, Vaisahli, Samastipur and Bhagalpur. Altogether, 31 districts of Bihar are JE-endemic. Around 10 crore children have been vaccinated against JE in India, of which 25% (2.3 crore) children are in Bihar.

In the current drive, children will be vaccinated at all the schools. In order to reach the uncovered children at schools, a door-to-door campaign will be launched in which the local health activists will mobilize people to the health centre where the injectable vaccine will be administered. Playing down the concerns whether private schools will come on board, a health official shared his experience about the drive in Patna and said, "Though some private schools were initially reluctant, they later came on board. A day before vaccination, teachers were asked to send a note to parents, informing them that on the next day the children will be vaccinated and if they did not want to give consent, they must not send their child to the school. However, most of the parents gave their consent."

At a workshop jointly organized by the State Health Society and PATH, an NGO, experts said there was no treatment against JE. "Antibiotics cannot treat JE. Only symptomatic treatment is possible. Vaccination is the only way to prevent it," said PMCH paediatrician Dr Nigam Prakash Narain.

Doctors also highlighted the fact that the culex mosquito that causes JE mostly breeds in rice fields. The virus enters the body through blood stream and infects brain and spinal cord and may render the child disabled for ever. "It should not be considered a disease that can hit only the poor because mosquitoes can bite anyone as they breed in stagnant water," said doctors.

Experts added, "Though vaccination is the best way to prevent JE, the importance of avoiding mosquito bites, preventing water stagnation and modification of pig rearing practices can't be ignored in fight against JE."

Fever with convulsions and chills and abnormal behavior due to brain dysfunction are common symptoms of JE. While 30% cases of JE are fatal, another 40% could lead to mental retardation.

Source: TimesofIndia