Mission Indradhanush, an immunisation programme, was launched on Tuesday in five districts of north Karnataka, Bengaluru Urban district, and areas under Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) jurisdiction.
After launching the programme, Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader said that 68,143 children aged under two and 18,201 pregnant women, who have missed their immunisation, in Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Bengaluru Urban and in BBMP jurisdiction would be covered under the programme.
There would be around 3,490 immunization booths in addition to 659 mobile booths. Steps had been taken to make the programme a success, he said, noting that Indradhanush, which means rainbow, covers seven vaccine-preventable diseases — diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B.
ADVERTISEMENT
‘Farm to Plate’ programme was launched to support the World Health Organization’s efforts to improve food safety.
Terming the shortage of staff in the Health Department as a hurdle to enforcing the Food Safety Act, Mr. Khader said, the government had decided to create a separate cadre for the purpose, and officials empowered to implement the Act would have magisterial powers to initiate action against violators.