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Media persons, and staff and officials of the Health and Family Welfare department, seen here at the workshop at Hotel Vivor on Tuesday.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 25(EMN): A daylong sensitisation workshop on Measles and Rubella Vaccination (MRV) campaign for media persons was organixed by the Health and family welfare department at Hotel Vivor in Kohima.
Dr. Maulik Shah, health officer UNICEF while enlightening the gathering said the statewide MRV campaign will be kicked off by the chief minister on October 3 at Seikhazou Government Higher Secondary School, Kohima and will target to vaccinate five lakh children between the age of nine months to fifteen years during the campaign. He also mentioned that government was undergoing this campaign to completely eradicate measles and rubella from the country by the year 2020.
He said India constitute a major chunk of people in the world who were affected by this two dreaded diseases. He also cited illiteracy as one of the main reasons behind the lack of awareness in the country.
Shah also said that the vaccine will be given in all schools, community sessions, anganwadi centres and government health centres. He also added that the vaccine will be administered to every child even if they were already been given the MR/MMR vaccine earlier.
Marykali Yepthomi, SBCC consultant, UNICEF explained that media will play a pivotal role to create mass public awareness about the campaign and also to dispel rumours and negative public opinions through sensationaliSed information and dismissive arguments about the vaccine and the programme that were being circulated in various social media platforms in the state.
She also said the central government is doing their best effort to enhance and make every child avail this vaccine and thereby eradicate measles-rubella diseases from the country by 2020. She also mentioned that the programme has the political commitment and will from the top to the grass root level.
Earlier, Dr. Atoshe Sema, State Immunisation officer presented the introduction about the MRV campaign and the role of media for the success of the programme, which was followed by an open discussion amongst the attendees where Dr. Shiela, SMO(WHO) led the panel.
