Why in the news?
The DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis & Tetanus) vaccine
coverage has hit an all-time high of 93% in 2022 surpassing 85% coverage in
2020.
Universal Immunization programme in
India:
1. The Expanded Programme on
Immunization was launched in 1978 and later renamed as Universal Immunization
Programme (UIP) in 1985 after expanding its reach in urban areas.
2. A largest public health programme
targeting close to 2.67 crore newborns and 2.9 crore pregnant women annually.
3. The programme is majorly responsible
for reduction of vaccine preventable under-5 mortality rate.
4. It offers free of cost vaccination
against 12 vaccine preventable diseases(VPD).
Nationally against 9 diseases
1. Diphtheria
2. Pertussis
3. Tetanus
4. Polio
5. Measles
6. Rubella
7. Severe form of Childhood
Tuberculosis,
8. Hepatitis B and
9. Meningitis & Pneumonia caused by
Haemophilus Influenzae type B
Sub-nationally against 3 diseases
1. Rotavirus diarrhoea,
2. Pneumococcal Pneumonia and
3. Japanese Encephalitis;
The two major achievements of UIP
● Elimination of polio in 2014
● Maternal and neonatal tetanus
elimination in 2015.
GAVI, the vaccine alliance:
1. Founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation with key partners as WHO, UNICEF, and the World Bank
2. Established as a private-public
partnership to mobilise the introduction of new and underused vaccines in the
world’s poorest countries.
Mission Indradhanush
1. Launched in December 2014
2. Aim: To increase the full
immunization coverage to children to 90%.
3. Focus areas: Areas of low
immunization coverage with poor accessibility to vaccination resulting in high
unvaccinated population of children.
4. Six phases of the mission have been
completed covering 554 districts across the country.
Challenges in achieving full
Immunization coverage:
1) Inadequate capacity of staff
particularly in poor-performing states and at the field level
2) Gaps in predicting demand, logistics
and cold chain management, which result in high wastage rates.
3) Lack of robust systems to track
vaccine-preventable diseases.
4) Low immunization coverage among
migrants.
5) Improper tracking of dropouts of
vaccination
6) Lack of awareness and social
determinants such as low literacy level among people.
7) Mobility restrictions and limited
family support and fear among people at community level.
Way forward:
● Building strong service delivery
systems to achieve high and equitable vaccination coverage.
● Appropriate policies and strategies that promote the timely delivery of vaccination - Going beyond conventional service delivery to Outreach services to identify the unattended.
● New technologies and innovative strategies increase the reach and impact of immunization programs.
