Mission Indhradhanush

Mission Indradhanush, initiated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on December 25, 2014, shines as a guiding light for numerous children and pregnant women in regions with limited immunization access. This campaign, integrated into the Universal Immunization Program, reflects a joint endeavor to connect with those who have been overlooked or skipped routine vaccinations. With a dedicated team united in purpose, consisting of individuals passionately devoted to the cause, every child and expectant mother receives the protective embrace of complete immunization coverage.

Objective

The Mission Indradhanush aims to cover all those children who are either unvaccinated, or are partially vaccinated against vaccine preventable diseases. India’s Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) provide free vaccines against 12 life threatening diseases, to 26 million children annually. The Universal Immunization Programme provides life-saving vaccines to all children across the country free of cost to protect them against Tuberculosis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis B, Pneumonia and Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib), Measles, Rubella, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Rotavirus diarrhoea. (Rubella, JE and Rotavirus vaccine in select states and districts).

Implementation

The immunization efforts are focused and systematic, aiming to reach children and pregnant women who may have missed out on vaccinations. Additionally, pregnant women receive tetanus vaccines, and essential items like ORS packets, zinc tablets, and vitamin A doses are provided.
These phases targeted specific districts, vaccinating millions of children and pregnant women. In Phase I, over 75 lakh children and 20 lakh pregnant women received vaccines, while Phase II extended to 352 districts, significantly increasing immunization coverage.
Launched in 2016, this phase targeted districts with low immunization rates, aiming to boost coverage among children under 2 and 5-year-olds, as well as providing tetanus toxoid injections to pregnant women.
Phase IV began in the North-eastern states before expanding nationwide.
Phase V focused on the lowest performing districts, resulting in significant improvements in immunization coverage.
Over the course of multiple phases, Mission Indradhanush has reached millions of children and pregnant women, significantly increasing immunization coverage across the country.
The Ministry receives technical support from various organizations like WHO, UNICEF, and Rotary International. Mass media, interpersonal communication, and robust monitoring mechanisms play crucial roles in the success of Mission Indradhanush.

Strategy for Mission Indradhanush

Mission Indradhanush is a national immunization campaign aimed at boosting vaccination coverage across the country, particularly in districts with low rates.

The broad strategy, based on evidence and best practices, will include four basic elements-

Careful Planning for Campaigns and Sessions: We need to carefully plan every aspect of our vaccination efforts, ensuring we update plans for each community to ensure we have ample staff and vaccines for every session. Moreover, we must develop specific strategies to reach children in over 400,000 high-risk areas such as urban slums, construction sites, and remote regions.

Effective Communication and Community Engagement: It’s crucial to spread awareness and create a demand for vaccination services among communities. We’ll use various communication channels such as mass media, local community networks, and even involve schools and businesses to ensure everyone understands the importance of immunization and actively participates.

Thorough Training for Healthcare Workers: We need to invest in training programs to empower our healthcare workers with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver high-quality vaccination services.

Establishing Accountability through Task Forces: These task forces will work closely with local health and administrative authorities, using real-time data to identify and address any gaps in implementation promptly.

Collaboration and Coordination: We’ll collaborate with other government ministries, existing programs, and international partners to create a united front in our efforts to improve routine immunization coverage nationwide. By working together, we can leverage resources and expertise to achieve our common goal of protecting public health through vaccination.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)

The Indian Government initiated Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) to ensure every child under two and all pregnant women receive proper immunization, even if they missed regular programs.
They focused on specific districts and cities to boost immunization rates to over 90% by December 2018. From October 2017 to January 2018, people in 16 states got vaccinated four times a month, for seven days each round, covering 173 districts.
IMI targeted areas with low immunization rates using data from national surveys, health records, and World Health Organization reports. They paid special attention to underserved areas like urban slums and migrant communities.
The mission involved coordination between multiple ministries and departments, including Women and Child Development, Urban Development, and Youth Affairs. They ensured that workers from different sectors collaborated effectively.
Monitoring was rigorous, happening at the district, state, and national levels, with regular reviews by top officials. They used various assessments and surveys to track progress and developed plans to improve coverage.
We honored districts reaching over 90% coverage, considering their effective strategies and crisis handling. We thanked partners and Civil Society Organizations for their vital support.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 3.0

The Indian government is dedicated to boosting vaccination rates, striving for a 90% coverage of the population. They demonstrate this commitment through initiatives like Mission Indradhanush (MI) and Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI), which aim to make vaccines more accessible and reduce child mortality and illness.
To further boost vaccination rates, the government plans to launch Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0. This initiative aims to reach communities that have been previously underserved, ensuring that all available vaccines are accessible to children and pregnant women. The program will run from February to March 2021.
IMI 3.0 will consist of two rounds, starting in February and March 2021, targeting 250 districts/urban areas across 29 states/UTs.
The primary focus of IMI 3.0 will be on children and pregnant women who missed their vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The overarching goal of the eighth campaign is to achieve 90% Full Immunization Coverage (FIC) across all districts of the country.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0

In February 2022, India launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 to enhance vaccination coverage across the country. The process had three rounds and included 416 districts, with 75 districts designated for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav festivities, spread across 33 States and Union Territories.
During the first round, which took place from February to April 2022, 11 states actively conducted the IMI 4.0 campaign. These states were Assam, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, and Chhattisgarh.
The remaining 22 states and Union Territories carried out their rounds of the campaign from April to May 2022. These states and territories comprised Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Puducherry, Delhi, Punjab, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Jharkhand, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0

IMI 5.0 now includes children up to age 5 and pregnant women nationwide, unlike prior efforts that focused solely on children up to age 2.
The campaign’s goal is to increase vaccination rates for all vaccines in the Universal Immunization Programme, with a focus on improving coverage for Measles and Rubella vaccines. Ultimately, we aim to eliminate Measles and Rubella by 2023.
We’re piloting a digital platform called U-WIN across all districts to streamline routine immunization processes.
IMI 5.0 consisted of three rounds, each lasting six days, with a designated Routine Immunization Day. These rounds took place in August, September, and October 2023.
All states and territories finished three IMI 5.0 rounds by Oct 14, 2023, except Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Punjab. These four states started late in August but planned to finish by Nov 2023 due to unavoidable circumstances.