By setting a target of over five per cent to vaccinate children every year the Union Health Ministry is targeting to cover all children who are either unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases which include diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B. Launched under Mission Indradhanush it is a booster scheme in child healthcare direction, which also immunises coming generations against the diseases. The mission plans to conduct four special vaccination campaigns between January and June 2015 with intensive planning and monitoring, while 201 districts will be covered in the first phase, 297 will be targeted for the second phase. The immunisation coverage was estimated at around 61 per cent in 2009 and from then on the growth record is only a minimal one per cent every year which has created a concern in child healthcare segment. The mission was launched on Good Governance Day to mark birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Madan Mohan Malaviya and birth day of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The successful implementation of polio eradication programme has become a yardstick for taking further steps in tackling other diseases which are plaguing children especially in high vulnerable segment of the society in villages and poor socio-economic strata of the society. There is an intensive effort needed to reach out to targeted group so that immunisation coverage is given to every child who deserves care for this, Govt should rope in agencies like WHO, UNICEF, Rotary Club, Lion Club and NGOs at district levels and at national level so that no child goes neglected for the health care in the twenty first century.
