- Vaccination is one of the most effective and cost-efficient public health measures, saving millions of lives.
- UIP is one of the largest public health programmes in the world.
- Aim – To provide life-saving vaccines to millions of newborns and pregnant women each year.
- Evolution – Initially launched in 1978 as the Expanded Programme on Immunization, it was rebranded as the UIP in 1985 when its coverage was extended beyond urban centers to rural areas.
- Objectives –
- To rapidly increase immunization coverage;
- To improve the quality of services;
- To establish a reliable cold chain system to the health facility level;
- To achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production.
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
- Features – Immunization is being provided free of cost against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases: 11 vaccines nationwide and one vaccine in endemic areas.
Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe Childhood Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Rotavirus Diarrhea, Pneumococcal Pneumonia and Japanese Encephalitis (JE).
- Annual Target – Around 2.67 crore newborns and 2.9 crore pregnant women.
- Beneficiaries – Pregnant women and children from all sections of the society across the country with the same quality vaccines.
- Decline in under-5 mortality – From 45 to 31 per 1,000 live births between 2014 and 2021, according to the Sample Registration System 2021.
- Polio-free status – Maintained since 2011 through continued stringent surveillance.
- Maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination – achieved in 2015 and was
- Yaws-free – Declared in 2016.
- COVID-19 vaccination programme – Launched 2021, by January 2023, covering 97% of citizens with one dose and 90% with both doses, marking a great achievement in public health on the global stage.
- India is now the world’s largest vaccine manufacturing hub.
- Measles and Rubella Champion Award – On March 6, 2024, India received the award from the Measles and Rubella Partnership, honoring its efforts in the South-East Asia Region.
PYQ’S
Which one of the following statements about Mission Indradhanush, launched by the Government of India in 2014, is correct?
(A )It relates to provisions for Child Health Screening and Early Intervention Services.
(B) It meets the diverse health needs of adolescents.
(C) It aims to increase the full immunisation coverage for children.
(D) Its objective is to achieve universal access to equitable, affordable, and quality healthcare services.