Launch of Mission Indradhanush Phase II in Haryana

Gurgaon, November 2, 2015:: Sh. Manohar Lal, Chief minister of Haryana inaugurated the Mission Indradhanush Phase-2 to be launched in 14 districts of Haryana (Bhiwani, Hisar, Jhajjar,Rewari, Rohtak, Mewat, Gurgaon, Panipat, Panchkula, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Sonipat, Sirsa and Yamuna Nagar) and Micronutrient supplementation programme in all 21 districts. Mr. Anil Vij, Health Minister, Haryana, Deputy Commissioner, Civil Surgeon and other district programme officers/officials were present during the inauguration function.

Mission Indradanush is a programme aiming to vaccinate all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children and pregnant women by the year 2020. Universal Immunization Program is running in the State under the guidance of Government of India to cover all the children under National Immunization Schedule. Presently, vaccines are being given to the children for protection against 9 vaccine preventable diseases like Tuberculosis, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Hepatitis B (Jaundice and liver cancer), Haemophilus Influenza type B (Pneumonia and meningitis), Measles, Polio and Japanese Encephalitis. According to latest estimate India’s full immunization coverage is 65.2%. As per UNICEF “Rapid Survey on Children” (2013-14) and World Health Organization Survey (2015-16), full immunization coverage of Haryana is 70.7% and 76% respectively. Every year, around 5.8 lakh children of below 1 year of age are being immunized under Universal Immunization Programme through approximately 2.5 lakh immunization sessions.  However, vaccination coverage is well below the target in difficult areas like urban slums, brick kilns. In the first phase of Mission Indradanush, Government of India assigned five High Focus Districts in Haryana.  

However, our State implemented the programme in all the 21 districts of the State and the programme was conducted during April – August 2015.   During the 1^st phase a total number of 86,681 immunization sessions were held and about 5.7 lakh children and 1.5 lakh pregnant women were vaccinated on construction sites, mainly affecting the migrant laborers and marginalized population.

Micronutrient Supplementation Programme in the State of Haryana. This is a month long programme, initiated by our Department, during which, all children between 6 months to 5 years of age will be provided with the supplementation for Iron Folic Acid, Vitamin A and de-worming process. Along with these activities, we are going to test the salt samples at households for their iodine levels.  Today this campaign will be rolled out in all the 21 districts of the State. 

Several micronutrients are required for adequate and healthy growth of the children, besides the regular food.  But, it is an irony that every year thousands of children are suffering from lifelong disabilities and dying from the preventable malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Malnutrition is the important underlying cause of morbidity among under-five children. According to the estimates, half of the children in the under-five year age group are dying with malnutrition as the underlying reason. As per the observations of Sample Registration System 2014 (SRS-2014) under-five child mortality rate in India is 49 per 1000 live births and the same in Haryana is 45 per 1000 live births. Children aged between 6 months and 5 years will be supplemented with liquid Iron and Folic acid Syrup, Vitamin A solution and de-worming will be done by using tab. Albendazole. Vitamin A deficiency is the major cause of preventable blindness in children.  We are targeting more than 20 lakh children in the age group of under-five for all these services.  During our previous round conducted in November 2014, about 16 lakh children were covered under this programme.