PUNE Pune municipal corporation (PMC) has come under strong criticism from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian’s government’s ministry of health for not being prepared to launch the WHO’s measles-rubella vaccine campaign.
WHO has targeted the elimination of measles and rubella by 2020 and an aggressive vaccination campaign kicked off last year in certain countries, including India, where many states like Tamil Nadu, Goa and Karnataka were covered.
This year, Maharashtra has been targeted and surveillance work was to be undertaken by health departments of municipal corporations. One senior official from the WHO who was in Pune to check the arrangements, requesting anonymity, said, “Pune was the least prepared and we saw a lackadaisical attitude towards the vaccine campaign. However, now after our visit things have started prepping up at the health department and they have begun work towards achieving their target.”
A source from the health department of the PMC, also requesting anonymity, said, “The officials not only pulled us up, but almost decided not to include Pune in the campaign, given the ill preparedness here.”
Dr Ramchandra Hankare, chief of health, PMC, said, “Yes, it is true that the WHO and the ministry officials visited us and were not happy as we were not prepared at all compared to others who have been working on this campaign since January. However, now we have started our pool messages, prepared jingles, prepared brochures and advertisements and also have collected data on the number of beneficiaries who will receive this vaccine. We are all prepped now.”
{{/usCountry}}Dr Ramchandra Hankare, chief of health, PMC, said, “Yes, it is true that the WHO and the ministry officials visited us and were not happy as we were not prepared at all compared to others who have been working on this campaign since January. However, now we have started our pool messages, prepared jingles, prepared brochures and advertisements and also have collected data on the number of beneficiaries who will receive this vaccine. We are all prepped now.”
{{/usCountry}}The WHO official said, “We have guided the PMC health department and have conducted several meetings with them. We hope they will make this campaign a success.”
The vaccine campaign is set to kick start on November 27 in Maharashtra.
41 crore children the target
According to WHO, India, along with 10 other WHO South East Asia region member countries, have resolved to eliminate measles and control rubella, that is the congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by 2020. Hence, ministry of health and family welfare has initiated the measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign which will be given to the children who are between nine months and 15-years of age in a phased manner across the nation. The campaign aims to cover approximately 41 crore children. Following the campaign, MR vaccine will become a part of the routine immunization and will replace the measles vaccine, currently given at 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age.