Special Vaccination Drive for Children living in Urban Slums and Streets under GO-NGO Partnership on the Occasion of Children’s Day & Sub-National Immunization Week.
by Haryanawirenews
PANCHKULA, Nov 14
On the occasion of Children’s Day and Sub-National Immunization Week(SNIW), the Nature Club of India (BNCI) and the Health Department (Haryana) launched a special vaccination drive for children living in urban slums and streets of Panchkula (Abhaypur, Buddanpur, Indira-Rajiv Colony) under GO-NGO partnership.
Ms. Pinki H. Madaan, Director (BNCI) inaugurated the drive by vaccinating the youngest children of the Indira Colony.
Addressing the community, she made aware the urban slum population that our country is at a critical stage of implementation of the Polio Eradication Efforts and children living in urban slums and on streets are amongst those at the highest risk of getting polio due to the conditions they live in. She further motivated all the parents to get their children vaccinated under each and every drive up to the age of five.
Dr. Avnish Jolly, Secretary (BNCI) also addressed the community informed that since November 14 is observed as Children Day all over India and it is also falling in the week of the Sub-National Immunization Week (SNIW) which is beginning on November 8, 2009, therefore, the Government of India has asked all the State Governments to launch Special Vaccination Drive under Government Organization-Non-Governmental Organization (GO-NGO Partnership) for children living in urban slums and streets on occasion of the Children’s Day and SNIW.
From Health Department (Panchkula) Ms. Meena Kumari (ANM) and Sunita Kumari (ANM RCH-II) have vaccinated the children with BCG, DPT, Hepatitis-B, Measles, DT, TT, Vit-A (Syrup), IFA (Small/Large), Polio and Fever Kit (Tab). More than 300 children have been vaccinated and about 1000 parents have been counselled for immunization/vaccination of their children in time.
During the Community Campaign, BNCI volunteers including Mr. Jagram Chaudhary (Counsellor), Veer Bharti, Rajaram, Ramnand Ram, Naresh Kumar and Manju suggested the Slum Dwellers to adopt a healthy lifestyle including always use of Public Toilets avoiding using open places for latrine (Open Defocacy), from which Polio Virus transmitting from one to another children.
Mr. Satish Kumar, Spokesman BNCI further intimated that their organization is also planning to submit a memo to the local administration to provide public mobile latrines and also for proper maintenance of the existing public toilets in various urban slum pockets around the city. The Government of Haryana has make a policy decision that all urban slums (authorised/Un-authorised) will be facilitated with basic Amenities including public toilets but due to lack of public latrines the urban slum dwellers are using open places, which is responsible for transmission of polio virus as well as other oral and communicable diseases.