Context:
A study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that Global Immunisation efforts have saved an estimated 154 million lives over the past 50 years.
Key Findings of Global Immunisation Report:
- Report shows that Immunization is the single greatest contribution of any health intervention to ensuring healthy lives of babies.
- Measles vaccination – Nearly 94 million of the estimated 154 million lives saved since 1974, were a result of protection by measles vaccines
- Coverage for DPT Vaccine – 84% of infants are protected with 3 doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP).
- DPT – A class of combined vaccines given to protect against 3 infectious diseases in humans (diphtheria, pertussis or whooping cough and tetanus).
- Eradication and Containment of Disease – Of the 3 strains of wild poliovirus (type 1, type 2 and type 3), wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999 and wild poliovirus type 3 was eradicated in 2020.
- India was declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2014.
- Vaccines against malaria and cervical cancer have been highly effective in containment of these diseases.
Status of Immunization In India:
- According to UNICEF, only 65% of children in India receive full immunisation during the 1st year of their life.
- As per the latest WHO-UNICEF Estimates National Immunization Coverage estimates, India has successfully reduced the number of zero-dose (ZD) children to 1.1 million in 2022 from 2.7 million in 2021
- Zero-dose – Refers to children who failed to receive any routine vaccination.
Important initiatives
- New vaccines – Measles-Rubella, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) and Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV), have been introduced and expanded nationwide.
- Mission Indradhanush (MI) – Launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) in 2014 with the aim to vaccinate all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children under Universal Immunization Programme.
- Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) – Launched to bring down the number of zero-dose children.
- Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN)
Source: WHO
Previous Year Question
‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to:
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2016 Prelims]
(a) Immunisation of children and pregnant women
(b) Construction of smart cities across the country
(c) India’s own search for the Earth-like planets in outer space
(d) New Educational Policy
Answer: (a)
