Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 2: Mission Indradhanush, which was launched by the Centre to intensify immunisation of children and women in December last year, would be kick-started in Orissa April 7.
Addressing an orientation programme here Thursday, family welfare director Nirmala Dei said, “We will identify the high risk areas like urban slums, nomadic sites, brick kilns and construction sites where immunisation sessions are not being conducted. The aim of the mission is to cover the dropout and left-out groups.”
Mission Indradhanush would be introduced in 10 high-risk districts of the state in the first phase. The districts are: Boudh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Khurda, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada. Currently, Orissa has immunisation coverage of 68.80 per cent.
“Indradhanush, signifying number 7, will deal with seven deadly diseases – measles, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis, tuberculosis and polio. The first phase of immunisation will be accomplished between April and July which will comprise of four phases,” Dei added. Sub-regional team leader of WHO-India Aurpit Patnaik threw light on taboos related to immunisation.
“People believe that immunisation causes fever or vomiting while the fact is that reactions are either due to pain or fear of injections,” said Patnaik. The mission will primarily cover children in the age group of zero to two years and pregnant women. The second phase will start in September after the medium-risk districts in the state are identified.
