JP Nadda asks Red Cross Members to join Mission Indradhanush

Union Health Minister J P Nadda has asked members of the Red Cross Society to actively participate in Govt’s “Mission Indradhanush” programmee and Deworming initiative, while addressing the Business Session of the Annual General Meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance (India) in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Nadda also appealed the volunteers of Red Cross and, St John, Junior and Youth Red Cross members to contribute in making a “Swasth Bharat” in true letter and spirit.

Speaking on the occasion, Nadda also stressed on the need to enhance the quality of first aid training for strengthening service delivery.

The Minister said the Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, provides vaccination for seven preventable diseases namely- diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and Hepatitis B. The Minister said, 2 crore 70 lakh children are born every year and nearly 90 lakh of them are not immunised.

Health ministry has been able to provide total immunisation to 54 lakh children and 55 lakh mothers as of now, Nadda stated.

Mission Indradhanush is a special drive to vaccinate all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children under Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), while the Deworming initiative aims to protect more than 24 crore children in the ages of 1-19 years from intestinal worms.