Beginning today, nine districts to get free pneumonia vaccine To tackle malnutrition, govt changes strategy

PCV The vaccine was available in pvt sector for ₹4K/dose JAIPUR:

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is being introduced as part of universal immunisation programme (UIP) in nine districts of Rajasthan from World Health Day on April 7.

Additional chief secretary medical and health Veenu Gupta on Friday addressing media at health directorate said in the first phase this vaccine will be administered to children in nine districts namely Banswara, Barmer, Dungarpur, Jalore, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sirohi and Udaipur. Two primary doses of the PCV will be administered at six weeks, 14 weeks and with a booster dose at nine months.

She said pneumonia kills more children under-five years of age in India than any other infectious diseases. The pentavalent vaccine was scaled in all states under the UIP in 2015 protects against haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) pneumonia. Now, introduction of PCV in UIP will reduce such deaths. It will also reduce the number of children being hospitalised and therefore reduce the burden on the families and the health cost of burden on the country. The under-5 mortality rate is 50 per 1000 live births as per sample registration system 2015.

Gupta said India accounted for 20% of the global pneumonia deaths in 2015. In 2010, modelling

JAIPUR: THE CAMPAIGN WILL INVOLVE INFORMATION, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES REVOLVING AROUND THE CAUSES FOR MALNUTRITION

Severe pneumonia episodes

Pneumonia deaths

Pneumococcal pneumonia episodes

Pneumococcal pneumonia deaths

based report suggested among children under five-years – 36 lakh severe pneumonia episodes, of which 5.6 lakh (16%) due to pneumococcal pneumonia, while 3.5 lakh all-cause pneumonia deaths, of which 1.05 lakh (30%) caused by pneumococcal pneumonia. Of total deaths in India, 71% of mortality due to pneumonia and pneumococcal pneumonia takes place in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan.

Secretary and mission director national health mission Naveen Jain said, after introducing this vaccine in nine districts, soon other districts will also be covered. He said earlier this costly vaccine was available only in the private sector costing Rs 3000-4000 per dose, which now will be available free of cost. This life saving vaccine will not only improve the health of children but also reduce unnecessary hospitalisation and other conditions associated with pneumonia.

Replying to question on plans to achieve 90% full immunisation by December 2018 as per Prime Minister’s direction, Gupta said “Rajasthan is doing good in immunisation with more than 80% and in video conferencing with Union Health Ministry secretary on Friday, special intensified mission Indradhanush will be launched in schedule caste dominated 600 villages in Rajasthan from April 23 this year.”

After limited success in tackling malnutrition, the state government will now launch a behaviour change communication strategy with the focus on changing mindset of people towards health and nutrition.

The campaign will be launched by the women and child development department on April 12, a senior department official said.

Rajasthan still has wide prevalence of malnutrition, with around 37% children being underweight and an under-5 mortality rate of 45 per 1000 live births.

The official said that the campaign will involve information, education and communication activities revolving around the causes for malnutrition. Though there are several government schemes and incentives on health and nutrition, till the mindset does not change, these will have only limited impact, she said.

The government strategy has so far focused on encouraging behaviour of beneficiaries through schemes such as Rajshri, Matru Vandana Yojana and other maternity benefit and food fortification schemes.

The government had also launched the community-based management of children with acute malnutrition (CMAM) programme in 10 high priority districts and three tribal districts, under which children screened were referred to malnutrition treatment centres or anganbari centres for treatment by giving nutritional supplements.

The official said in the social milieu that women are often not the decision makers and cannot make their own choices. Practices such as early marriage and early pregnancies, lack of nutritious food during pregnancy and lack of a balanced diet to children leads to malnutrition.

“Women are often denied nutritious food, especially during pregnancy. This leads to malnourished babies. Children, too, are not given nutritious diet which in turn affects their growth and development.”