Mission Indradhanush

Introduction

• The Immunization Programme in India commenced in 1978 under the name 'Expanded Programme of Immunization' (EPI), initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• In 1985, the program underwent modifications and was renamed the 'Universal Immunization Programme' (UIP). The objective was phased implementation, aiming to cover all districts in the country by 1989-90, making it one of the world's largest health programs.
• Despite its extended operation, the UIP has achieved full immunization for only 65% of children in their first year of life.
• To enhance and accelerate the program, ensuring comprehensive immunization for all children and pregnant women, the Government of India launched "Mission Indradhanush" in December 2014.

Goal of Mission Indradhanush

• Mission Indradhanush's primary objective is to achieve complete immunization coverage, encompassing all available vaccines, for children up to two years old and pregnant women.
• The Government has pinpointed 201 high-focus districts spanning 28 states, identified as having the highest numbers of partially immunized and unimmunized children.
• Initially, the annual increase in full immunization coverage was 1%, but with the first two phases of Mission Indradhanush, this rate has surged to 6.7% per year.
• As of August 2017, four phases of Mission Indradhanush have been successfully conducted, resulting in the vaccination of more than 2.53 crore children and 68 lakh pregnant women.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)

• In an effort to enhance the immunization program, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) on October 8, 2017.
• The primary objective of this program is to extend coverage to every child up to two years old and all pregnant women who were not covered under the routine immunization program/UIP.
• The special drive specifically targets selected districts and cities, aiming to achieve full immunization for over 90% of the population by December 2018.
• The initial target for accomplishing full immunization under Mission Indradhanush with at least 90% coverage was set for 2020. However, with the launch of IMI, the achievement of this target has been expedited.
• The Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) will consist of four consecutive immunization rounds spanning seven days each, conducted monthly from October 2017 to January 2018.
• The program will operate in 173 districts, covering 121 districts and 17 cities in 16 states, as well as 52 districts in 8 northeastern states. The emphasis will be on low-performing areas in the selected districts (high-priority districts) and urban regions.
• Special attention will be directed towards unserved or low-coverage pockets found in sub-centers and urban slums with a migratory population. The focus will extend to urban settlements and cities identified under the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM).