Health Minister Launches Mission Indradhanush 4.0 For Children, Pregnant Women

Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya, the Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, virtually launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 on Monday in New Delhi. The mission aims to protect children and pregnant women from life-threatening diseases.

Dr Mandaviya said the government is implementing the most extensive vaccination drive globally. Under which annually, over 3 crore pregnant women and 2.6 crore children are covered through the Universal Immunisation Programme. The mission will give momentum to the vaccination coverage.

देश में बच्चों व गर्भवती माताओं को गम्भीर बीमारियों से बचाने हेतु प्रधानमंत्री @NarendraModi जी द्वारा चलाए गये मिशन इंद्रधनुष के 4.0 संस्करण को लॉंच किया। इससे देश में वैक्सीनेशन कवरेज को और अधिक रफ्तार मिलेगी। pic.twitter.com/X1AyFHKiWu

— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) February 7, 2022

The Union Health Minister informed that a total of 170 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered throughout the country. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants the vaccination coverage to be 90 per cent. States and the Centre have to put collective efforts into it," quoted ANI.

Indradhanush 4.0

The goal of the mission is to ensure complete immunization for children and pregnant women. In a statement, the health ministry said that Mission Indradhanush 4.0 would be conducted in 416 districts across 33 states and union territories in three rounds focusing on the districts with comparatively low vaccination coverage.

The mission will be executed in two phases; the first phase will begin from February to April and will cover 11 states, and the second will start from April to May and will cover 22 states. Under this mission, 12 vaccines will be administered to the children.

Existing Data On Mission

Mission Indradhanush, a health mission of the Indian government, was launched in December 2014 with an aim to drive towards 90% full immunization coverage of India and sustain the same by the year 2022.

The health ministry stated that the mission was also identified as one of the flagship schemes under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan and Extended Gram Swaraj Abhiyan.

"Vaccines protects children and expecting mothers from various disease. Earlier vaccination was 43 per cent which has now reached 76 per cent. Our PM wants the vaccination to be 90 per cent," the health minister said, quoted by ANI.

By far, ten phases of Mission Indradhanush have been completed covering 701 districts across the country. As of April 2021, a total of 3.86 crore children and 96.8 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated.

The Full Immunization Coverage among children aged between 12-23 months has increased from 62 per cent (NFHS-4) to 76.4 per cent (NFHS-5).

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