Immunisation rate slips,govt plans shot in the arm

Badaun (UP) with 10.6 per cent coverage is the worst in the country,followed by Damoh in Madhya Pradesh with 11.6 per cent. In all,23 districts have less than 20 per cent coverage,48 are below 30 per cent and 53 are below 40 per cent. The overall coverage in UP is 40.9 per cent and in MP it is 42.9 per cent,according to data available with the ministry.

Although Tamil Nadu does not feature in the intensification plan,officials say the state is becoming a cause for concern with coverage slipping from 91.4 per cent in 2002 to 77.3 per cent in 2009. Coverage has declined in only two other places — Dadra and Nagar Haveli (from 84.6 per cent to 57.9 per cent) and Puducherry (89.3 per cent to 80.2 per cent).

The crackdown is planned in phases,including a special focused effort for polio in view of the fact that January 13 will mark one year with no fresh polio cases reported.

Anuradha Gupta,joint secretary in charge of reproductive and child health,said,“We are in the process of a detailed review of the 204 districts to understand the problems,review their plan implementation and devise district-specific solutions. We have planned special immunisation weeks in the states with the worst figures.”

The states — Rajasthan,Gujarat,UP,MP,Bihar,Chhattisgarh,Jharkhand and the northeastern states — will each have four special immunisation weeks.

For polio,states have already been asked to form rapid response teams.

Falling numbers

* Overall immunisation: 61%

* 204 districts with less than 50% coverage,including 98 districts in UP,MP alone

* Worst coverage in Badaun (UP) with 10.6%,followed by Damoh (MP) with 11.6%

* Overall coverage in UP 40.9%,in MP 42.9%

* In Tamil Nadu,coverage slips from 91.4% in 2002 to 77.3% in 2009