Women's Self-Help Groups Keep Chhattisgarh Babies Healthy
By Ashish Mishra
IANS
Email: ashish.m@ians.in
Born
in a Gond tribal family in Kondagaon district in Chhattisgarh, two-year old
Priyanka weighed only 5 kg and was suffering from acute malnutrition when she
was taken to a Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) two months ago.
Priyanka's
parents are daily wagers in Shampur, a small settlement in the newly carved-out
Kondagaon district that is located some 220 km south of state capital Raipur.
Such was the condition of the toddler that she was kept under constant watch at
the NRC for 15 days.
"She
was stunted, weak and underweight so we admitted her to the NRC, where she was
provided nutritious food seven to eight times every day. She has, however, come
out of the acute malnutrition category, but is still malnourished,"
Anganwadi worker Dushan Pandey told this visiting IANS correspondent.
Pandey
said that Priyanka's parents had not paid attention to the child's health. Now,
she is being taken care of at an Anganwadi centre and slowly progressing towards
normalcy.
"We
now feed her three to five times daily with nutritious food - daal-rice and
green vegetables - at the Shampur Anganwadi centre under the Nava Jatan
scheme," Pandey added.
Chhattisgarh's
26 million population has an over 30 percent tribals and 30.55 percent of its
children are malnourished. The state has, however, shown substantial
improvement in reducing the number of malnourished children through various
steps, including the Nawa Jatan Scheme.
Women's
Self-Help Groups (WSHGs) are formed under the state government's Nava Jatan
programme to address malnourished children.
Dhamtari
district collector Bhim Singh said that the percentage of malnourished children
has reduced significantly. Through Wajan Tyohar (weight festival) we determine
whether the child is malnourished by recording his/her weight.
"In
2012, the percentage of malnourished children in Dhamtari was 43.89 percent,
which was reduced to 39.84 percent in 2013 and further reduced to 33.71 percent
in 2014. Till June 8, 2015, only 24.59 percent children (including tribal
children) were under-nourished in the district," he said.
"The
WSHGs adopt malnourished children in their area and provide them food with the
help of Anganwadi centres," Bhim Singh said.
According
to Wajan Tyohar data in Kondagaon district, the level of malnourished children
was very high at 51.95 percent in 2012 and reduced to 44.62 percent in 2013. In
2014 malnutrition was 41.84 percent and was marginally reduced to 41.15 till
June 8, 2015.
Women
and Child Development Department secretary Dinesh Srivastava said: "The
children who fall under the category of moderately or severely under-weight are
treated under the Nawa Jatan Scheme."
UNICEF
provides technical inputs to the design of the scheme and the capacity building
plan.
There
had been several challenges in addressing under-nutrition among tribal children
including household poverty, gender and social norms, lack of tribal
leadership, lack of awareness and family planning.
The
anganwadi supervisor of Shampur sector, Belarani Biswas, said: "Most of
the tribal people here are in the habit of drinking a lot. In tribal families,
women also drink a lot of liquor due to which they are not able pay proper
attention to the proper upbringing of their wards, leading to improper eating
habits in children."
According
to the 2009 estimates of the erstwhile Planning Commission, India's 104 million
tribals continue to remain among the country's poorest social groups. Children
of tribals remain the most nutritionally deprived.
The
child development project officer (CDPO) of Kondagaon district, Amit Singh,
said that malnourished girls grow into weak mothers and give birth to
underweight babies.
"The
WSHGs, along with Suposhan Mitras, reach out to every individual in their
respective area and ensure proper feeding to the kids. They also counsel their
parents about paying more attention towards improving the eating habits of
their children," Amit Singh said.
Kamar Tribe Getting Extinct
By Maneesha Bhalla
Outlook Hindi Magazine
Gist: Kamar tribe in Chhattisgarh is on the verge of getting
wiped out due to malnutrition. Due to lack of education, these tribals cannot
avail the benefits of the welfare schemes launched by the Government. High
birth rate has added to their woes as these people do not adopt family
planning. Alcoholism has also ravaged the health of the Kamar males while the
administration has failed to provide adequate nutrition and healthcare to this
community. 54% of tribal children in India are malnourished.
According to
UNICEF, 25% tribal children (0-5 years), 35% children in the age group of 6-11
years, 54% of adolescents (12-17 years), 75% of people in the age bracket of
18-23 years and 61% above the age of 24 years are malnourished. Naxal violence
and low accessibility is also responsible for the menace of malnutrition in
Kamar tribe which is making it difficult for the Govt. and NGOs to reach to the
interiors of villages located in the state's Bastar district.
Three months
back, a UNICEF worker was held hostage for three hours by the Maoists in
Bastar. Sudha Bhardwaj, Chief, PUCL Chattisgarh when asked about this says the
infestation of areas such as Bastar by Maoists has made it very difficult in
reaching to the needy. Ration shops have been removed from here.
People now
have to go to camps to get their ration. Men fearing arrest desist from going
to these camps while women are provided less food with the suspicion that they
are carrying it for the Maoists. The eating habits and patterns of tribals have
also contributed to nutritional deficiencies in these communities.
'As Mother, Stress on Immunization for Child's Healthy Future'
 |
| Photo Credit: UNICEF/2015/ Dhiraj |
Mumbai: After lending support
to Set Beautiful Free, Vivek Oberoi and Amruta Fadnavis' initiative for a
rehabilitation centre for girl children born to sex workers, Madhuri Dixit Nene
pitched for awareness of routine immunization as a UNICEF celebrity advocate at
the Radio4child awards.
The awards by the Radio Operators
of India (ROI) honours radio jockeys for sensitizing public through creative
messages on routine immunisation.
Looking elegant in a Payal
Singhal saree, Madhuri thanked to RJs and radio stations for spreading the
message.
"I appeal to RJs and Radio
stations to give more space to critical issue of routine immunisation. Each
child should get proper nutrition, upbringing, education and health care. I am
honoured to be associated with cause of routine immunization to ensure healthy
future for children," she said at the function on Monday.
Asked if she was scared of
injections, Madhuri, referring to her husband, said: "My husband is a
doctor and I am not scared of injections."
She also pointed out that as the
mother of two sons, Arin and Raayan, she is very concerned about their health.
"As a mother, I am concerned
about my children's health. And I request everybody should take this routine
immunization very seriously." Read more
Photo Essay: Teeku Talk – Public Engagement initiative on Routine Immunization
in Bihar
By: Nipurnh Gupta
`We will motivate people around
us, especially parents, to fully immunize their children.’ pledge the students
of St Xavier’s College, Patna after being participating in `Teeku Talk’ in
their campus in Patna, last week. 
`Teeku Talk’ is a public engagement initiative, which aims to create a buzz about immunization and engage people, especially the youth, in motivating people around them to #FullyImmuizeEveryChild.
`Teeku’ short for `Teekakaran’ or `vaccination’ is a fictional, super-hero, who saves children from life-threatening diseases. Teeku has been created by UNICEF with support of radio professionals in Bihar.
`Teeku Talk’ uses an interactive magic show, discussion, quiz and pledge to engage people around the issue of immunization. Teeku-Talk advocacy initiative has been jointly organized by the State Health Society Bihar, UNICEF with support from Radio Mirchi and a local NGO, KTGVS. This is the first time in Bihar when magic show is being used as an advocacy tool for Routine Immunization, informs Ms Nipurnh Gupta, Communication Specialist, UNICEF Bihar. 
Teeku Talk is being held in 20 high density locations in and around Patna, including shopping malls, colleges, urban slums and large parks.
Talking about `Teeku Talk’, Mrs Mary Alphonso, Principal Don Bosco Academy, said “This is a very creative way to communicate about the importance of fully immunizing every child. Students not only enjoyed, but also learnt a lot. We teach them about such topics in school too but this was very engaging. Now, they will definitely tell others about vaccination”.
Remembering her own school days, she said there used to be a vaccination day and once when the doctors came in her school to give vaccination, there was a boy who ran away when he heard about it and started crying and hid himself somewhere in the backyard; entire school staff went looking for him. When we found him he was taken to the doctor and his parents were called and told that this vaccine is important and will have little pain but will take care of him for the rest of his life.
Immunization is one of the most economic and successful public health initiatives. Each year, thousands of children die due to vaccine-preventable diseases. Around 70 per cent children in Bihar are fully immunized but around 30 per cent children still miss out on life-saving immunization as they are either `drop outs’ (do not get all scheduled vaccination) or are totally left out (do not get any immunization).
Students -- Ashish Kumar, Susmita Bharti and Manisha call out for `No Droput, No Left Out’ through placards they made on different vaccination message at the Teeku Talk event in their college. 
‘My mother-in-law thought believed immunization was painful and hence unnecessary. She didn’t understand its importance. I had to fight her ignorance to immunize my child and ensure her healthy future,’ shares Pratima Devi, 30, a resident of Mainpura, Patna at the Teeku Talk event in her area. `You did the right thing for your child,’ says, Victor Swaraj from Radio Mirchi, as the audience claps for Pratima.
The tagline of the Teeku Talk initiative is “Teeka karan ke fayede -- khud samjhe aur sabko batayen (Understand the benefits of Immunization yourself and share them with others)’’ Magician PK Singh, draws out a syringe from an empty red bag to drive home the message, as the crowd cheers.
`I first tried to understand about all vaccines -- DPT, BCG, and Pentavalent and created interesting tricks around them, using different props, he says. The most enjoyable is when he brings out `coins’ from children’s mouth, hands and back… and then says emphatically, “ if you do not immunize children, you have to waste a lot of money on illnesses and their treatment. Many children can even die, but immunization can prevent their life and help fulfill their dreams.”
The Teeku Talk campaign will cover approximately 2 lakh population through field events as well as radio and print media coverage. We are conducting this activity near shopping areas so that the middle and higher income group of the society can understand the importance of full immunization and spread the message and work as influencers,” says RJ Shashi from Radio Mirchi, Patna. A popular figure in Bihar, RJ Shashi loves to be present at Teeku Talk also frequently takes `Teeku Talk’ live on the evening show on Radio Mirchi.
Vaccination is provided Free of Cost every Wednesday and Friday in government health facilities. The campaign focuses on taking these immunization messages to the urban poor also, to ensure that they come under the umbrella of a healthy life.
( Picture RJ Shashi ( yellow T-shirt) with RJ Mirchi colleague and UNICEF Bihar Health Officer, Dr Manishaand Communication Specialist, Nipurnh at the Teeku Talk at Patna’s famous P&M Mall.)
Rekha is a resident of Kurji colony, a slum in Patna. Fourteen years ago, when her first girl child, Punam was born in a local hospital, doctors vaccinated the child with BCG. After 3-4 hours of vaccination, the girl child got fever. Everyone was worried in the family. Her mother in-law consulted the neighborhood quack and he said the fever is due to vaccination and they should never get the child vaccinated. Being a mother, Rekha was not convinced with this and despite being pressurized by her family, she took her daughter to the hospital, consulted the relevant doctor and came to know about the B.C.G and other vaccines. After that incident she not only got all her children fully vaccinated but also started promoting the importance of vaccination in every child’s life. She says, though she is just a literate, she tries to be a part of any activity related to children’s health and convey the good messages and learning’s to all her friends and neighbors who are unable to attend these kinds of events.
Teeku Talk also brings in a doctor to talk to people about different aspects of immunization Dr Shailendra Kumar Gupta, Medical Officer In Charge, Sadar Hospital, Danapur, answered many questions especially related to missed doses and side effects. He informed people that In order to achieve full immunization, the Government of Bihar has announced an intensive campaign called the Mukhyamantri Saghan Teeka Karan Abhiyan (MSTA) in 24 districts of Bihar UNICEF is playing an important role to increase routine immunization in Bihar and Teeku-Talk is enabling people to act as catalyst to promote RI among their friends, family and society.,” Dr Shilendra Kumar Gupta, adds
ANM, Pratima Devi, Sadar Hospital, Danapur says, “Changes in people’s behavior and their knowledge about immunization can increase only by making a change in their mindsets. This campaign involves everyone from children to pregnant women, head of family to the media and it will help in fully immunization of every child of Bihar.”
Every Teeku Talk also features an interesting quiz session on Immunization, conducted by the anchor or Radio Mirch Jockey. “Audiences have been participating in the quiz with a lot of enthusiasm. Prompt correct answers from the public also help us assess the effectiveness of the magic show. We also give out prizes after each right answer to keep the audience motivated and engaged,” shares Priyanka, the chirpy anchor of Teeku Talk. Priyanka likes to shows off her special garland made of syringes – it attracts every ones attention, she says and makes them remember `Teeka or immunization!’. 
“By immunizing our children, as a parent we fulfill our first criteria for their safe, secure and healthy life”, says Chandana Singh, a mother of two. Nine years ago, Chandana witnessed the death of an infant caused by tuberculosis because parents didn’t get the baby immunized. After that incident, she became so concerned about her children’s health that she participates in any programme or initiative related to children’s health. She was visiting a relative’s home, when she heard about the Teeku Talk, she not only participated herself but she also brought her sister, Sadhna Singh, mother of two children and approximately five other women from her neighborhood.
Teeku Talk is motivating people to talk about the benefits of full immunization and inspire them to ensure not just their children but kids all around them are fully immunized. To strengthen this promise, every Teeku Talk session ends with a pledge by the audience that they will understand about the immunization and then teach people about important of full immunization. Nursing (ANM) students in Patna join in the pledge for ensuring immunization for every child. 
Radio Mirchi , RJ Umang was present at the activity and asked everyone to share with others about complete vaccination and not just keep to themselves. Our state and country will be free from these deadly diseases if we all talk about it and spread the message to each and every one.
RJ Umang interacted with Ritika who said that she gained a lot of information at this event about various types of vaccines and when they are to be given. She said that will tell about it to her family members, neighbours and relatives and servants who come to work at her place. She also sang a bollywood song to make it more entertaining and was cheered by the audience.
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Worsening scenario of malnutrition in India
By Alka Arya
Even as Jharkhand has
the richest mineral wealth and coal deposits worth Rs 200 lakh crore in the
country, 42 per cent of state’s population lives below the poverty line and 55
per cent under-5 children are malnourished. An estimated 2.2 million children
in Jharkhand are malnourished. Among them, 12% are severely malnourished. Approximately
47% of state’s children below the age of three are physically stunted. According
to a 2013 Lancet Medical Journal report, malnutrition accounts for 45 per cent of
the total deaths of children under the age of five. By curbing malnutrition,
deaths of up to 18,000 under-5 children can be staved off in Jharkhand every
year.
The problem of
malnutrition among children is so acute in the country that according to a
World health Organization estimate, out of 19 million malnourished children in
the world 8 million are in India only. The number of undernourished children in
India is two times higher than those living in sub-Saharan Africa.
The burden of
malnourished children adversely impacts the socio-economic progress of a
country. Malnourishment among children is a problem confined not just to their
families- it also affects the entire state and the nation in many ways. For
instance, malnutrition causes stunting in children, which in turn can result in
22 per cent loss in income.
Malnutrition also adversely
affects intellectual capabilities in children making them lag behind others in
studies. Due to malnutrition, Jharkhand can lose up to six per cent of its
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to the Government of India Economic Survey
2013-14, this loss can inflict a damage of up to Rs 10 thousand crore to the
annual GDP of Jharkhand. Checking anemia alone can lead to an increase of 2 per
cent in State’s GDP and about 5.7 per cent increase women’s productivity.
Jharkhand has the second
highest prevalence of malnutrition among all Indian states. Taking cognizance
of the gravity of situation, the UNICEF in collaboration with Radio Mantra in
Ranchi, has produced songs on malnutrition in local languages, including Hindi,
Bengali, and also in tribal languages such as Santhali, Mundi, Panchparganiya
and Ho. These songs can be heard on small Chinese made radios with the help of
pen drives. The team engaged in spreading awareness about malnutrition has been
using this tool in remote and hard-to-reach areas. One may question if the State
government is doing enough and moving in the right direction for curbing the
prevalence of malnutrition. Recently, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghuvar Das
announced at a public meeting that 10,000 Poshan Sakhis (Nutrition Companions)
would soon be appointed in the state who would solely focus on matters related
to nutrition.
Currently, it’s the
Anganwadi workers and Sahiyas (community workers) who are entrusted with the
job to look after the malnutrition-related problems among the children. The
chief minister has also promised to set up a Nutrition Mission to boost efforts
to fight malnutrition in the state. Such Nutrition Missions have already been operational
in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. As
part of these missions, nutritious diet is provided to children in the age
group of three to six years with the objective of curbing malnutrition. Questions
are of course raised on the manner of execution of these schemes and if they
are adequate for tackling the menace of malnutrition in the country.
The quality and type
of food served to children also often generates a number of controversies. Recently,
a row erupted when the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh banned eggs in free
meals for malnourished children. In Madhya Pradesh too malnutrition remains a
persistent problem. According to 2005-06 National Family Health Survey, a
staggering 60 per cent of children in Madhya Pradesh are malnourished. A few
years ago, the Planning Commission (now NITI Ayog) had pulled up the Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on this issue.
The gravity of
malnourishment is so severe that people from all walks of life have come
forward in Madhya Pradesh to improve the health status of 23,000 severely malnourished
children. Hoshangabad in the state is a district where every single
undernourished child is being looked after by someone outside the families.
Local Commissioner, MLAs, public representatives, lawyers and doctors are
carrying this mission forward by taking the responsibility of nutrition of the
vulnerable children. In fact, the district magistrate of Hoshangabad has also
taken the responsibility to look after two children and he has been also
motivating others to follow the suit.
Even in Betul the
local district magistrate has shouldered the responsibility of one malnourished
child. He has also been encouraging people from other sections of the society
to adopt 700 of the district’s 2,000 malnourished children. It should also be
mentioned that the concerned officials remain connected to this
anti-malnourishment drive even when they are transferred out of the districts.
In this campaign, the sensitivity of government officials towards
malnourishment among children has been exemplary.
In 2005, Jharkhand
adopted the strategy to administer Vitamin A supplementation doses twice a year
to the malnourished children. But in 2012, and the following two years, none of
the malnourished children in the state was given the vital doses. The reasons
cited for non-administration of Vitamin A to children in Jharkhand were
non-availability of the doses, lack of storage facilities and substandard
quality of the supplement. According to a Lancet report published in 2003,
consequences of malnutrition during first two years of life are irreversible
and cannot be made up when the child is older. After a gap of three years, the
policy to provide Vitamin A doses to malnourished children was resumed in June
2015.
The month of June was
observed as Jharkhand Mother and Child Health and Nutrition Month, and children
between nine months to five years of age in the state were administered Vitamin
A supplementation doses. Deficiency of Vitamin A can be a reason of blindness
in undernourished children. Vitamin A is very effective in preventing the
occurrence of serious diseases in children up to five years of age, suggests
the regional data of the World Health organization.
According to a study
report published in Journal of Nutrition, inflation has also been a
contributing factor for increasing malnutrition among children. A study
conducted in Andhra Pradesh reveals that the levels of malnutrition among
children belonging to lower and middle classes were higher when the state
recorded a rise in prices of commodities.
The health of people
in India, especially children, is vital for ensuring success of flagship programmes
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, such as 'Skill India' and 'Make in India’. The
mental capabilities of people and their productivity levels are directly linked
with the investment made for improving their health. Effective implementation
of schemes meant to arrest malnutrition among children can help India realize ambitious
socio development and economic goals.
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What made me quit my 15 year old RJing career & become happily jobless….
BY: RJ SIMRAN
For more than 15 years I had been an inimitable part of FM Radio with names like All India Radio, Radio Mirchi,RED FM, Big FM and Radio City. I had been entertaining listeners with my compelling programming strategies, humour, wit and a decent voice!
On one such evening of December 2013, when I was talking to people about their New Year Resolutions, I got a call from a retired 88-year old Judo teacher who had difficulty breathing and could hardly speak but still wanted to give self-defence classes to girls. I clearly remember he said, “Judo is my skill &I want to use it to make a difference.” He then casually asked, what was it that I wanted to do with mine?
That day I could not stop thinking, it was maybe the next day when I put down my papers to take on a new quest. A little clueless on how to unfurl the next chapter of life, but clear in the head that my voice and years of experience could be used for development communication. And so it happened. Radio Entertainment got a mission and I got an opportunity, to be a part of the longest and the biggest public health intervention measures undertaken in India, the Universal Immunization Programme and Mission Indradhanush.
Just at the same time, I came in contact with UNICEF where plans were afoot to create a holistic discourse around Routine Immunisation by using Radio. UNICEF’s equity focus wanted to leverage the reach of radio, which is one of the largest broadcasting platforms in the world, in terms of languages, spectrum and reach.
And the two mentors who made my jobless journey priceless are (left to right) Geetanjali Master Communication Specialist UNICEF India and Sonia Sarkar,Communication officers UNICEF.
Over numerous briefing and brainstorming sessions, I became familiar with the subject. Routine Immunization in India saves 2.5 million lives each year. Despite best efforts only 65% of the children get all vaccines during the first year of their life. In order to vaccinate the 35% partially or unvaccinated children in 201 high focus districts, Govt of India launched a special campaign called the “Mission Indradhanush”. The moto is to intensify routine immunization in these districts.
With nearly 159 million radio listeners turning in, radio has fast become a crucial point of contact with the grassroots of the country. Thus began the most fulfilling phase as a trainer and key resource person of training workshops conducted by UNICEF. It was an opportunity for me to harness my creative skills and deliver the ‘dry’ subject of Routine Immunisation (RI) in a fun and innovative way on radio platforms.
Almost six months later in June 2014, I became a key resource person for a capacity building workshop of over 100 leading Radio journalists and producers on the RI Programme, organised by UNICEF, in partnership with the Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI).
The workshop also involved participation of two frontline ASHA workers, several academics, government health officials, civil society representatives and health experts of WHO and UNICEF.At the same event, UNICEF announced the first ever radio awards for child health, “Radio4child Awards”.Radio journalists, across the country, jointly produced audio products to create awareness about RI.
UNICEF received 21 products from the top radio participants. FM Stations had innovatively promoted Routine Immunisation on-air using these products. The main criteria was to talk about the key messages on-air.
The “UNICEF Radio4child” awards created five categories, two winners in each, RJ & Producer category. The categories were:BEST PSA,BEST RJ LINK,BEST RADIO SPOT,BEST JINGLE,BEST JINGLE,MISSION INDRADHANUSH BEST RADIO SPOT
The winners will be given the awards in a special event in Mumbai and will include international exposure and interaction with radio journalists from the SAARC region.
Internationally, this week is critical for the world is celebrating World Immunization Week 2015 (24-30 April, 2015) which signals a renewed global, regional, and national effort by governments, partners and donors to accelerate awareness and demand for immunization by communities, and improve vaccination delivery services using as a framework the Global Vaccine Action Plan.
This year, on the 28th April 2015, UNICEF India in partnership with Speak For Change, my organisation and Nagrik Foundation held a two-day ‘Radio Consultation on Routine Immunisation: Mission Indradhanush’, focusing primarily on utilising radio as a medium to spread critical messages on Routine Immunisaiton.
Key stalwarts from the field of radio and media were invited to the session where each of these 21 clips were showcased.
On the panel are: (from left to right standing) PervaizAlam, Dean,School of Journalism, APJ University,; UdayChawla, Secretary General, Association of Radio Operators of India.Abhay Gaur, President, AIR/DD News District Correspondents Association,DeepakDwivedi, Group Editor, DainikBhasker; New Delhi; (Left to right sitting)RoomiMalik,Senior producer/RJ AIR,SoniaSarkar, Communication Officer, UNICEF,AnupamNidhi, Head, Corporate Social Responsibility, Reliance Group;RJSimranKohli,Director Speak For Change Foundation.
On the first day of the consultation, the jury reviewed 21 radio clips on RI, made by the jockeys who were trained in 2014 and finalised 5 entries for the first-ever Radio4child Awards, to felicitate the best radio productions that helped spread the message of Routine Immunisation.
Pioneers from the radio and development industry, Uday Chopra, Secretary General, Association of Radio Operators of India, AnupamNidhi, Head-Group CSR, Reliance Group, Deepak Dwivedi, Chairman, Nagrik Foundation, PervaizAlam, Dean, School of Journalism, APJ University, Rumi Malik, RJ AIR and Abhay Gaur, Senior Journalist, AIR deliberated upon the finer nuances of a message as they finalised the winners across five categories.
The result is that we now have some of the best radio material for us to further disseminate the Routine Immunisation messages to reach a larger audience base.I believe with the extensive reach of radio among the masses, this can be a critical link to create awareness and engage audiences among remotest parts of the country with a specific aim to create awareness on the complete immunisation cycle.
The need of the hour is to get my fellow radio professionals to get involved in this initiative. Together we can leverage this platform to develop a detailed plan for producing entertaining and informative programs and capacity development through innovative mechanisms.If we have a God-given gift, then we have a duty as well…..to use it for the larger benefit of the society!
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A shot in the arm for our children
By: N. K. Arora, Executive Director, The INCLEN Trust International
Date: 22 Apr, 2015 Publication: Business Line Page: 9 Edition: Delhi April 24-30 is World Immunisation Week. Vaccination is a lifesaver in the absence of adequate health infrastructure With a generation of Indians growing up with aspirations of global leadership, the spectre of debilitating diseases has become less evident. Many in their 20s are unlikely to know about the diseases that afflicted this nation even four years ago. Small pox and polio come to mind. Despite this, almost one out of every three children continues to be is deprived of the full benefits of the immunisation programme. A significant proportion of the population on the margins of society is excluded from various public programmes and suffers from vaccine-preventable illnesses. It is critical to understand that immunisation prevents disease where medical care isn’t an option or because quality care is just not available. Often, when a child in extremely straitened circumstances is taken ill, medical care could be a few days’ travel away. Communities must appreciate that preventing disease is far less expensive than treating severe illness, and vaccines are among the most cost-effective options. Healthier children also do better developmentally, especially in school, grow up to be smarter adults, and give parents more time to be productive at home and at work. A sense of urgency It is with urgency that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is supporting countries to close the immunisation gap. World Immunisation Week signals a renewed global, regional, and national effort to increase awareness. This year’s campaign focuses on closing the immunisation gap and reaching equity in immunisation levels as outlined in the Global Vaccine Action Plan, which is a framework to prevent millions of deaths by 2020 through universal access to vaccines for people in all communities. The national immunisation campaign, ‘Indradhanush’, launched on April 7, envisions 100 per cent coverage of routine vaccines in India by 2020. These efforts need to be matched with the community keeping up the demand for immunisation. A recent Unicef survey says nearly one-third of children do not return for their scheduled immunisations in India as parents are either unaware of subsequent doses or unsure how to deal with fever, pain or swellings that may result from some vaccine shots. India thus has a high number of partially immunised children, leaving them vulnerable to disease and premature death. It takes close to two years before a child can be said to have been fully immunised. Banish misconceptions Vaccines are almost like a lifelong insurance against life-threatening infections. Mild fever, swelling or crankiness for a day or so can be easily managed. Occasionally, parents may hear that vaccines cause severe damage to their children, but this is not true. In fact, the Union Government has set up an elaborate system to investigate every such incident. It is only after due diligence about safety that any new vaccine is allowed in the national immunisation programme. Immunisation benefits all sections of society. The risk of death is highest in poor and socially marginalised sections, but vulnerability to diseases exists across social and economic classes. There is no scope for complacency by anyone — immunisation is a child’s right; it is the prime duty of parents and the responsibility of the state to keep the next generation healthy and free of diseases. Immunisation coverage is an indicator of societal equity; the public health system has to ensure that the most vulnerable are not left out, lest we continue to be embarrassed with high, albeit avoidable, infant and child mortality despite our economic achievements.
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Pentavalent vaccine not cause of Ujjain infant’s death An interesting article by , HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times, Ujjain Mar 24, 2015 18:49 IST The vaccine sample was sent to the laboratory for testing after a one-and-half month-old boy died around 18 hours after he was administered a dose of the vaccine on November 16 here in Ujjain on November 16, last year. Bharat, son of Devendra Garg, from Begampura under Mahakal police station limit was administered a vaccine at Ujjain’s district hospital on November 15 and on next day (around 18-hours later) he developed loose motions and vomiting. Infant's parents immediately rushed him to the district hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The aggrieved family members also created a ruckus at the hospital, blaming the vaccine for the death of their child. Responding to the allegations, team of four doctors, including Dr JS Dhawan, Dr KN Tripathi, Dr Ambuj Agrawal and Dr Jitendra Sharma performed a post mortem, which claimed that the child, Bharat, had died due to suffocation. To avoid any further casualty due to vaccination in the district, the health department had sent the vaccine to the CDL for testing. After examination, laboratory on Monday gave a clean chit to the vaccine. Earlier, on October 29, the health department has launched a new immunisation campaign for children under one year and included Pentavalent vaccine on the list of generic medicines. The new vaccine is to be used against five diseases -- diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B. It costs about Rs1,300 in the open market, but the health department is providing it free in government hospitals. The vaccine sample was sent to the laboratory for testing after a one-and-half month-old boy died around 18 hours after he was administered a dose of the vaccine on November 16 here in Ujjain on November 16, last year. Bharat, son of Devendra Garg, from Begampura under Mahakal police station limit was administered a vaccine at Ujjain’s district hospital on November 15 and on next day (around 18-hours later) he developed loose motions and vomiting. Infant's parents immediately rushed him to the district hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The aggrieved family members also created a ruckus at the hospital, blaming the vaccine for the death of their child. Responding to the allegations, team of four doctors, including Dr JS Dhawan, Dr KN Tripathi, Dr Ambuj Agrawal and Dr Jitendra Sharma performed a post mortem, which claimed that the child, Bharat, had died due to suffocation. To avoid any further casualty due to vaccination in the district, the health department had sent the vaccine to the CDL for testing. After examination, laboratory on Monday gave a clean chit to the vaccine. Earlier, on October 29, the health department has launched a new immunisation campaign for children under one year and included Pentavalent vaccine on the list of generic medicines. The new vaccine is to be used against five diseases -- diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B. It costs about Rs1,300 in the open market, but the health department is providing it free in government hospitals. |
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