TURA: A remote village in Anogre region of West Garo Hills district where as many as six infants died in a span of one week due to an outbreak of diarrhoea in October was reportedly one among 200 villages in the state termed as a ‘Refusal Village’ on account of its inhabitants’ refusal to participate in any health immunization programme.
The diarrhoea outbreak at Renchagre village took the lives of children under the age of five years, the youngest being barely two months old.
“When the incident occurred we had immediately dispatched health teams to the village because we needed to know how and why such an outbreak took place. During investigations we found that the village was a ‘Refusal Village’ that did not allow immunization drives. One of the main vaccines against diarrhea is the Rotavirus oral drop given to all infants under 45 days and again, a month later. It is one of the 8 vaccines given to all children under five years for a complete immunization. The children missed out on this,” revealed Meghalaya Health Commissioner and Secretary P Sampath Kumar.
He expressed concern that in an era of modern medicine where vaccines play a pivotal role in preventing diseases, such a tragedy had unfolded. He termed it an “eye opener” for everyone on the importance of community mobilization.
To spread awareness on the importance of vaccination of children against an assortment of diseases, the Meghalaya Government has launched the chief minister’s special ‘Mothers Programme’ in which training has begun to be imparted for women self help groups to bring about behavioral change in people, especially mothers when it comes to immunization.
“By 2021 we intend to complete coverage of every household in the state,” believes Sampath Kumar.
This project assumes significance given that the state lost out on a performance fund of Rs 25 Crore from the central government, last year, after it failed to touch the minimum of 85 percent immunization coverage.
“We have already initiated the Village Health Nutrition Day in which each village decides on a particular day for vaccination of children and general health check-up of its population wherein the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and ANMs are present with the vaccines. It is already doing wonders which is why we are bringing out the Meghalaya State Health Policy,” announced the Commissioner and Secretary Health.
The results are now becoming visible with Meghalaya identified as one among a handful of states in the country which has registered a stunning 85-90 percent of full immunization coverage.