SHILLONG/ JOWAI: The National Health Mission, Meghalaya, and UNICEF organised a first-of-its-kind sensitisation workshop on Monday for religious leaders of all faiths and denominations on the upcoming Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign.
The awareness workshop comes in the wake of the challenges faced by health workers, especially those in rural areas where many families have refused to be part of the campaign due to religious beliefs.
The NHM workshop on Monday was to seek support and cooperation for the crucial campaign that is set for a soft launch on September 24 and statewide launch on October 1.
More than 13 lakh children will be immunised under the Measles-Rubella (MR) campaign with a target to achieve 100 per cent coverage and evaluated coverage of more than 95 per cent.
Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Pravin Bakshi, pointed to the challenges such as misinformation due to cultural practices and taboos in some pockets of the state.
Speaking at another workshop for the media on Monday at Asian Confluence, Bakshi said the target is to reach out to schoolchildren and the campaign is being held to protect children between nine months and 15 years of age group. He allayed fears of over-vaccination and no harm done with extra vaccination.
Health Minister AL Hek has appealed for support and active cooperation of heads of schools, teachers and parents, community leaders and public representatives as it is the state’s biggest ever vaccination campaign.
The minister added that children irrespective of previous immunisation history or disease history should receive the vaccine.
“For this gargantuan task support is critically required from religious and community leaders representing various churches and denominations,” Hek, who was present at the NHM workshop, said.
Meghalaya will be the 25th state to start the campaign.
The NHM programme was interactive and authorities answered the queries of religious leaders. They informed that measles and rubella kill about 40,000-50,000 children every year.
There have been instances of outbreaks in Meghalaya which underscored the need for a coordinated and comprehensive strategy to make this immunisation campaign successful.
The Presbyterian Church, Seventh Day Adventists Church, Seng Khasi and Church of Jesus Christ, Grace Covenant, KJP Synod apart from spiritual organisations like Ramakrishna Mission and Shri Guru Singh Sabha participated in the workshop and vowed to sensitise their followers and congregations on the campaign.
In Jowai, West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Garod LSN Dykes, along with medical officers held a press meeting on the campaign on Monday.
District Medical and Health Officer SS Nongbri informed that several orientation and sensitisation programmes were being organised to create awareness on the importance of the vaccination drive.
The DMHO office will hold two weeks of immunisation in schools and two weeks in villages.
“Before the immunization, the child will be examined to find out about his or her health,” said Nongbri, adding that around 1.26 lakh children have been targeted based on the enumeration conducted by ASHAs and health workers.
Awareness rallies will be held in the district on September 19 and 20.
