Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday advised the Health and Family Welfare Department authorities to undertake an impartial survey and monitoring of the immunization programme as the State achieved the distinction of recording higher rate of success than the national average in full immunization of infants during 2012-13.
According to official sources, the State has recorded 88 per cent of full immunization of infants up to 5 years against 86.4 per cent during 2012-13.
The Chief Minister reviewed the implementation of the immunization programme in the State and asked the Health Department authorities to ensure full proof immunization of infants and pregnant women by taking the services of external agency like UNICEF for conducting impartial survey and monitoring of the programme along with vaccine logistics.
Patnaik also advised to focus on slums in the urban areas and underserved areas for full immunization coverage by hiring alternate vaccinators. He also stressed the need for paying regular incentives to ASHAs for mobilization of beneficiaries to immunization session sites and fixed an immunization day to ensure reduction in leftouts and dropouts. He also asked to adopt new strategies to improve and intensify full immunization coverage as well as quality of service.
The sources said that due the sustained immunization to pregnant women, there was no report of any fresh Polio incidence in Odisha since 2008. Similarly, the state succeeded in reducing the incidence of Measles in the State among the children up to five years. While as many as 45 cases of Measles reported during 2010-11, the number was reduced to 14 in 2011-12 and only four cases of Measles were reported during 2012-13, it said.
The sources revealed that Odisha has earned the distinction of being the number one State in the country as far as the integrated management of the full immunization programme by providing antigen of BCG, DPT, OPV, Measles, Heptatie-B, Vitamin-A is concerned. The State Government had undertaken alternate vaccine delivery ‘Tikka Express’ through PPP mode to ensure the transportation of vaccines and logistics to the session sites. The Tikka Express helped in minimizing vaccine wastages too. The Chief Minister advised to undertake special sensitization programme in the State to popularize the immunization to ensure zero death of infants in the State. Sources revealed there has been a 9 pre cent increase in the rate of vaccination in Polio, Measles under Mamata and Janani and Sishu Surakshya scheme.
Among others, the meeting was attended by Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Aditya Padhi, Health and Family Welfare Secretary PK Mohapatra, Women and Child Development Secretary Arati Ahuja, National Rural Health Mission Director PK Mehrda and senior officials of the Health Department