'Mission Indradhanush' to cover over 1 lakh children in Thane

THANE: Centre's health project 'Mission Indradhanush' will be launched in Thane district as a weekly programme each month from April to July, health officials said today.

District health officer and member secretary of the mission co-ordination committee, Dr B S Sonawane said the special drive of the government's universal immunisation programme will be held as a weekly programme each month from April to July this year, under which around 1.3 lakh children, from newborn till two years, will be covered.

The programme starts from April 7 and a meeting regarding implementation of the project was also held, he said.

The programme will also concentrate on high risk areas like the brick kilns, Sonawane said.

Since the launch of universal immunisation programme in 1985 in India, full immunisation coverage has not surpassed 65 per cent despite all efforts and hence, the mission focuses on interventions to expand this coverage to more than 90 per cent, he said.

Beside Thane, the six districts that have been identified for the programme from Maharashtra are Beed, Dhule, Hingoli, Jalgaon, Nanded and Nashik.

Seven vaccine of preventable diseases - diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B will be administered to children.