India: 170 Million Children to Get Polio Drops
The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, launched the Pulse Polio programme for 2018 by administering polio drops to children less than five years old, at the Rahstrapati Bhawan, on Saturday.
Kovind administered the polio drops on the eve of the National Immunization Day, which is observed today. More than 17 crore (170 million) children of less than five years across the country will be given polio drops as part of the drive of Government of India to sustain polio eradication from the country.
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The Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) aims to protect children from more diseases than ever before and has introduced several new vaccines like Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Rotavirus vaccine, and Measles-Rubella in the recent past.
To further strengthen and accomplish the goals India has launched Mission Indradhanush and encouraged by its success, it has recently intensified the mission in October, 2017 to achieve more than 90% full immunization coverage by 2018.
The government claims that strengthening of immunization programme has significantly contributed to the decline of Infant Mortality Rate from 39 in 2014 to 34 per 1000 live births in 2016.
Photo courtesy: Press Information Bureau
