Health department launches Special Intensified Mission Indradhanush

Dimapur, April 23 (EMN): In collaboration with Ministry of Rural Development, the department of Health and Family Welfare under the initiative of ‘Gram Swaraj Abhiyan’ has launched Special Intensified Mission Indradhanush campaign on April 23.
UIP division under NRHM, Health & Family Welfare on Monday informed that the campaign will cover 738 villages in all the 11 districts of Nagaland.
The drive will be conducted in three rounds with the first round starting from April 23 to 27th for three consecutive months.
The campaign is aimed at providing vaccines for children below 2 years of age and pregnant women who have missed out routine vaccination.
In the earlier Mission Indradhanush campaigns, it was infromed that persistent gaps were found with regard to immunization coverage in urban areas and areas with poor mobilization of targeted beneficiaries.
In accordance with the Union Health Ministry, the goal of Special Intensified Mission Indradhanush is to accelerate the coverage and achieve 90% full immunization coverage by December and sustain thereafter through routine immunization, the press release stated.
There will be effective programme oversight through state task force meetings and district task force meetings chaired by principal secretary of H&FW and deputy commissioners.
It also mentioned that the chief secretary has been reviewing the progress of the programme through the state steering committee meeting.
There will also be intensive monitoring of the campaign by state-level health officials and development partners (WHO, UNICEF, UNDP).
The central government has deputed national observers Dr. Shalini Verma, senior project officer (CPME), UNDP and national mentor, Dr. Sumita Ghosh, DC (MH) to oversee the planning, preparedness and implementation of mission and Prime Minister-Rashtriya Swasthya Suraksha Mission in the identified districts, it was informed.