Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Pravir Krishn said that immunisation is the right of every child and no child should be missed for getting immunisation. He said that State has trained medical officers, ANM, ASHA and frontline workers to identify high risk settlements and missing children. He was speaking at the media workshop organised by Department of Health and Family Welfare department with support from UNICEF and WHO on the upcoming Mission Indradhanush to reach out to partial immunised or unimmunised children with routine immunisation in the State of Madhya Pradesh.

The mission will be launched on April 7, 2015 in Madhya Pradesh. The Government of India has launched this on March 23, 2015 for 201 districts in the country. Madhya Pradesh has 15 districts where this mission will be focussed. Aliarjpur, Anupur, Chhattarpur, Damoh, Jhabua Mandla, Panna, Raisen, Rewa, Sagar, Satna, Shadhol, Tikamgarh, Umaria and Vidisha are covered in this mission. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Madhya Pradesh said that two major reasons for parents not bringing their child for immunisation is lack of awareness and fear of adverse effects following immunisation. He urged media for its support in these two areas. Mission Indradhanush will be conducted for seven days, over and above routine immunisation Mangal Diwas starting from April 7, May 7, June 7, July 7, 2015.

Vandana Bhatia, Health Specialist, UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh spoke that vaccination is right of each and every child. She said that right vaccine, at the right age, right dose, safe vaccine, for every child is right which we as stakeholders need to ensure. UNICEF is supporting State in this mission with monitoring, supportive supervision and communication. Santosh Shukla, Deputy Director, Immunisation, Madhya Pradesh has around 600,700 children, who are either partial immunised or left out. Out of this, 266,000 are from 15 high focus districts, which are selected in Mission Indradhanush. He stressed that we need reach out to those who can’t reach us. OP Tiwari, State Regional Team leader, WHO- MP spoke on the training and technical support being provided by WHO for Mission Indradhanush. Anil Gulati, Communication Specialist, UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh, Dr Ashwinin Sayal, State President IAP were present at the media meet.