27th Nov 2019 09:11:PM Editorials
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 which will be an intensive three-month long immunization exercise starting from next month will be an ambitious one as it will try attaining 90% national immunization coverage. Like the rest of the country, in Arunachal, it’s also going to be a challenge for the respective District Administration of the 18 identified districts and it’s encouraging that some innovative ways are going to be applied that would help in overcoming the difficulties localised in nature and boost efforts for greater penetration. Unlike the rest of the country, the state’s problems are unique since reaching out to the people in the remote hard to reach peripheries defying odds that exist particularly due to communication bottlenecks is a reality. If touching the set-out immunization target is itself a challenge, the task of reaching out to the unreached is no less daunting. And to face this duo, a great coordinated and inter-departmental approach that would help in taking the mission to the level of a mass movement is the only solution.
Immunization has always been a challenging affair since it was first introduced in 1978 as ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ by the Union Health Ministry and now it has got a mass movement like character with targets now hovering in ranges of above 90%. The current IMI 2.0 which was launched in October 2017 is a more robust version of its predecessor, Mission Indradhanush and involves enhanced focus on left-outs, dropouts, resistant families and hard to reach areas with focus on urban, underserved population and tribal areas. In this regard, experience inputs from those derived from the hugely successful pulse polio programme has been taken with the central motto is to have zero left-outs in vaccination against the dreaded diseases both for children and pregnant women. If 90% is the national target, Arunachal will strive to achieve a much larger one of 97% per cent which is a good idea. But to achieve it, uninterrupted and concerted efforts in the run-up and throughout this three-month span involving all stakeholders, related directly or indirectly with this mission is an absolute necessity. Also, as the Community Based Organisations have proved to be great partners in mitigating various social problems in the state, it is also necessary that they be taken into confidence. As a whole, the entire gamut of efforts must be a mass-involved initiative. It is only perhaps then the state’s inherent drawbacks of poor roads that disrupt the process of connecting the targeted populace of immunization can be negated to some extent. It will sound repetitive, but it can never be hidden how basic communication shortcomings in state are always proving detrimental to any cause having great beneficial ramifications.
Nevertheless, there’s no point now in harping on what’s absent. It’s time for all to rise to the occasion for the sake of a healthier Arunachal.


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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