2.6 lakh kids on Mission Indradhanush radar in MP

The Mission Indradhanush, a Central government scheme that promises immunisation to all children by 2020, will cover nearly 2.6 lakh unvaccinated children in 15 districts of Madhya Pradesh, National Health Mission director said on Monday. 

 

There are over six lakh unvaccinated children in Madhya Pradesh, according to health officials.

The campaign, which will be held in four rounds from April 7, will reach out to partially immunised or unimmunised children in the state, said National Health Mission director Faiz Ahmad Kidwai. He was speaking at a media workshop organised by the health department with support from UNICEF and World Health Organisation.

 

The mission, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, targets to immunise all children against seven vaccine preventable diseases — diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, childhood tuberculosis, polio, hepatitis B and measles.

 

Under the mission, the Centre intends to cover 201 high-focus districts, including 15 from Madhya Pradesh, in the first phase of 2015.

 

"Though immunisation coverage is around 67% in Madhya Pradesh, it is between 50 to 60% in these 15 districts," he said.

 

The fifteen  high-focus districts of  Madhya Pradesh include Alirajpur, Anuppur, Chhattarpur, Damoh, Jhabua, Mandla, Panna, Raisen, Rewa, Sagar, Satna, Shahdol, Tikamgarh, Umaria and Vidisha.

 

Kidwai said efforts would be made to achieve 90% immunisation coverage in the state.

Principal secretary of health Pravir Krishn said immunisation was the right of every child.

Krishn said two major reasons for parents not bringing their children for immunisation were lack of awareness and fear of adverse effects following immunisation. He sought media support in these two areas.

 

Vandana Bhatia, the health specialist at UNICEF in Madhya Pradesh, said, "Right vaccine, at the right age, right dose, safe vaccine, for every child is right which we as stakeholders need to ensure."

Santosh Shukla, the deputy director immunisation of the state, said the campaign would reach out to those who can’t reach them.

 

OP Tiwari, the Madhya Pradesh regional team leader for WHO, spoke on the training and technical support to the campaign in the state.

 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/indore/2-6-lakh-kids-on-mission-indradhanush-radar-in-mp/article1-1332458.aspx

Tribal youth in MP learn new ways of problem solving through mobile phones

Hindustan Times, Bhopal, story by Sravani Sarkar

 

Dhondu Warkhede, a 21-year-old tribal in a remote village in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district, is intimately attached to his cellphone, a gadget which keeps him connected to the world. But the BSc student has now discovered that his phone could also be used as a problem-fixer.

 

A training workshop on ‘new media’ organised by NGO Manav Vikas Sansthan with support of Unicef, exposed 30-odd tribal youth to Internet-based applications and use of mobiles to connect to Internet so that they can use it to raise issues on various citizens’ websites.

 

"I sent an e-mail to an official regarding broken hand pumps in my neighbourhood and I got a positive response. Now, I'm studying the administrative system properly to understand who to approach for what problem," Dhondu said.

 

Technically, the training was conducted by team of CGNET Swara — a voice portal on which common citizens could report any matter of concern.

 

The trained youth would also be provided opportunity to connect to the website. The participants were from tribal districts like Betul, Raisen, Sehore, Hoshangbad, Chhindwara and Balaghat.

Sulochana Saryam, a 20-year-old college student from Chhindwara learnt to use Facebook and to send official emails.

"I only used the Internet for my college assignments, but now I understand how I can use it to get problems redressed," the woman said.

Vimlesh Uike of Hoshangabad said he had understood the process of recording for the CGNET Swara portal and added that initiatives like these could be good way to get issues resolved.

 

Speaking at the meet, Unicef communication specialist Anil Gulati said that new media offers an opportunity for young people to connect to a larger world and make them sensitive towards issues which affect children and young people.

 

Shubhranshu Choudhary, of CGNET Swara explained the working of the voice portal and the way cell phones could be used to access it to raise issues that affect the youth and their neighborhood.

According to the 2011 census, 2011, the percentage of people with mobile or telephones in the state is 46%.

 

The report said that 33.5 of the rural population have mobile phones while in urban areas, the percentage of mobile users was  61. However, the rural areas in the state are yet to get 3G internet services.

 

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bhopal/tribal-youth-in-mp-learn-new-ways-of-problem-solving-through-mobile-phones/article1-1333608.aspx

Religious leaders issue appeal on sanitation

About 60 leaders of various religions and sects participated, shared their thinking on sanitation and cleanliness.

 

Speaking at the meet Trevor Clark, UNICEF Chief Madhya Pradesh said that sanitation is right of each and every child and clean water and sanitation are vital prerequisites for reduction in child mortality and the fight against diseases.

 

Diarrhea and Pneumonia, two major reasons for child death, have direct linkage to open defecation.

Professor Samdong Rimpoche, Chancellor, Sanchi Bodh University that all religions, there is a all religions talk about cleanliness and sanitation and it should be promoted. There is need to look at various scientific research, getting new evidences and promoting positive practices on newer challenges in the area of sanitation.

 

Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, Shahr Kazi, Swami Hanut Sri (Manat Baba), Gyani Dilip Singh, Behan Reena , Father Shaji E, Dr Kayanat Kazi, Dr Anwar Shaqi, Brahmchari  Amit Jain, Shekar Baba, Swami Balbir Das, Acharya Rajnish Pawar were some of those who were present and shared their views.

Johnson D WASH officer UNICEF made a technical presentation and spoke on the challenges of sanitation, possible reasons of open defecation and need to stop open defecation.

 

Anil Gulati, Communication Specialist UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh spoke on the objectives of the meet and work with religious leaders and Global Interfaith WASH Alliance.

 

Girish Updhayay, Senior Journalist, compared the programme and spoke on the possible role of religious leaders. Anil Saumitra, SPANDAN, welcomed the participants and spoke on the need to engage religious leaders.

 http://www.indiablooms.com/ibns_new/health-details/E/842/religious-leaders-issue-appeal-on-sanitation.html