Union Govt introduces Immunisation programme ‘Mission Indradhanush’ in northeast

Launched in 33 districts of northeastern states of India, Mission Indradhanush, an immunisation programme, aimed to vaccinate children by 2020.

The programme is formulated by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry and would be implemented in eight districts in Assam, six in Nagaland, five in Arunachal Pradesh, four each in Manipur and Mizoram and three each in Tripura and Meghalaya.

"The Mission Indradhanush was launched on Tuesday in 33 of the 91 districts in seven northeastern states. These 33 districts are part of the 201 districts in India where the mission was launched on the occasion of World Health Day," revealed a Health Ministry official.

The immunisation programme has target to expand immunisation coverage in India to at least 90 percent children in next five years.

Commenting on the matter, Badal Choudhury, State Health and Family Welfare Minister, Tripura said, “The programme provides immunisation against seven life-threatening diseases - diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and Hepatitis B.” He further said, "From today (April 07, when the programme was launched in the states), the immunisation would continue for seven days. The immunisation would again be carried out seven days each in May, June and July."

The Minister also assured that even though the Centre has selected three of the eight districts in Tripura for Mission Indradhanush, the State Government would undertake the immunisation programme in all the eight districts across the state.