MISSION INDRADHANUSH

The Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, aims to cover all those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B. 

Mission was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India on 25 December, 2014 as a special nationwide initiative to vaccinate all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children under the Universal Immunization Programme by 2020.The Mission focuses on interventions to expand full immunization coverage in India from 65% in 2013 to at least 90% children in the next five years. The programme provides immunization against seven life-threatening diseases (diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B) in the entire country. In addition, vaccination against Haemophilus influenza type B and Japanese Encephalitis is provided in select districts/states.

Under Mission Indradhanush, the Health Ministry has identified 201 high focus districts across the country that have the highest number of partially vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Nearly 50% of all unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children are in these 201 districts. Of the 201 districts, 82 districts are concentrated in the four states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and nearly 25% of the unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children of India are in these 82 districts of these four states. These districts will be targeted for intensive efforts to improve the routine immunization coverage in the country. The ultimate goal is to protect all children and pregnant women against vaccine preventable diseases in India.

AREAS UNDER FOCUS

Mission Indradhanush will target 201 high priority districts in the first phase and 297 districts for the second phase in the year 2015. The implementation of the first phase of the Mission in 201 high focus districts commenced from 7th April 2015, World Health Day.

Within the districts, the Mission focuses on the 400,000 high risk settlements identified by the polio eradication programme. These are the pockets with low coverage due to geographic, demographic, ethnic and other operational challenges. Evidence has shown that most of the unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children are concentrated in these areas. The following areas are targeted through special immunization campaigns:

• High risk areas identified by the polio eradication programme. These include populations living in areas such as:
  ♦ Urban slums with migration
  ♦ Nomads
  ♦ Brick kilns
  ♦ Construction sites
  ♦Other migrants (fisherman villages, riverine areas with shifting populations etc.) and Underserved and hard to reach populations (forested and tribal populations etc.
  
  
• Areas with low routine immunization (RI) coverage (pockets with Measles/vaccine preventable disease (VPD) outbreaks).
  
  
• Areas with vacant sub-centers: No ANM posted for more than three months.
  
  
• Areas with missed Routine Immunisation (RI) sessions: ANMs on long leave and similar reasons.
  
  
• Small villages, hamlets, dhanis or purbas clubbed with another village for RI sessions and not having independent RI sessions.

STRATEGY FOR MISSION INDRADHANUSH :

Mission Indradhanush will be a national immunization drive to strengthen the key functional areas of immunization for ensuring high coverage throughout the country with special attention to districts with low immunization coverage. The broad strategy, based on evidence and best practices, will include four basic elements-

1. Meticulous planning of campaigns/sessions at all levels: Ensure revision of microplans in all blocks and urban areas in each district to ensure availability of sufficient vaccinators and all vaccines during routine immunization sessions. Develop special plans to reach the unreached children in more than 400,000 high risk settlements such as urban slums, construction sites, brick kilns, nomadic sites and hard-toreach areas.

2. Effective communication and social mobilization efforts: Generate awareness and demand for immunization services through need-based communication strategies and social mobilization activities to enhance participation of the community in the routine immunization programme through mass media, mid media, interpersonal communication (IPC), school and youth networks and corporates.
 

3. Intensive training of the health officials and frontline workers: Build the capacity of health officials and workers in routine immunization activities for quality immunization services.

4. Establish accountability framework through task forces: Enhance involvement and accountability/ownership of the district administrative and health machinery by strengthening the district task forces for immunization in all districts of India and ensuring the use of concurrent session monitoring data to plug the gaps in implementation on a real time basis. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will establish collaboration with other Ministries, ongoing programmes and international partners to promote a coordinated and synergistic approach to improve routine immunization coverage in the country.