19 dists fail to achieve vaccination target

As many as 19 districts in the state have failed to achieve the set goal under Mission Indradhanush as per a recent report submitted to the Union government.

The report was submitted by a team of assessors comprising representatives from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) on the coverage that was achieved under the union government’s programme Mission Indradhanush. The Mission was launched to have a focus set on achieving complete immunisation coverage in 28 states that had high numbers of partially immunised or unimmunised children.

With several states failing to achieve the target, in 2017, the scheme was given a push with Intensified Mission Indradhanush programme under which all states were to achieve at least 90% immunisation coverage by December 2018.

According to sources in the department of health and family welfare, 19 districts in the state have failed to meet the set target.

Bengaluru Rural, Chikkaballapur, Chitradurga, Davangere, Shivamogga, Tumakuru, Ramanagar, Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Hassan, Yadgir, Raichur, Uttara Kannada and Dharwad are among places in the country where 90% immunisation has not been achieved.

Although the department officials said that they are yet to get a copy of the comprehensive report, they are in disbelief.

Dr Rajini Nageshrao, deputy director, immunisation, department of health and family welfare, said that the figures do not match the assessments done in the state. “Every year, a team does the evaluation survey. The situation is not so in the districts as per our Health Information Management Systems reports,” she said, adding that the state could not agree with it.

When the project started, the focus was laid on districts in North Karnataka where the immunisation was poor. “Yadgir and Raichur have been titled aspirational districts which need improvement on all fronts. The assessment is done on various factors such as outreach, education and health. These districts need improvement in all areas,” said Dr Rajini.

In a letter to chief secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar, the mission director of National Health Mission, Manoj Jhalani has said, “It is my pleasure to inform that Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Bengaluru (Urban) and Belagavi districts of your state have achieved more than 90% immunisation through intensified efforts during the Intensified Mission lndradhanush held in 2017-18.”