Mission Indradhanush: India’s Lifesaving Immunization Drive for Children and Mothers

Mission Indradhanush: India’s Lifesaving Immunization Drive for Children and Mothers

In a country as vast and diverse as India, ensuring the health of every child and mother is a massive challenge. Launched in December 2014 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Mission Indradhanush aims to address this challenge through a nationwide immunization program. This initiative focuses on vaccinating all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant women across the country. With the mission of providing full immunization to every child under the age of two years and pregnant women, Mission Indradhanush has become a crucial part of India’s public health efforts.

What is Mission Indradhanush?

Mission Indradhanush is a special drive to expand immunization coverage in India. The name ‘Indradhanush’, meaning ‘rainbow’, symbolizes the seven essential vaccines that are included in India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP). These vaccines protect against seven deadly diseases — diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles, and hepatitis B. Over time, the mission has expanded to include vaccines for diseases like Japanese encephalitis, rotavirus, and pneumonia (Haemophilus influenzae type B), among others.

Objectives of Mission Indradhanush

The core objective of Mission Indradhanush is to ensure that all children and pregnant women receive free, complete, and timely vaccination. The specific goals include:

• Reach unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and mothers.
• Accelerate immunization coverage to more than 90%.
• Identify high-risk areas and underserved populations.
• Bridge gaps in immunization and healthcare services.

Why Was It Needed?

Before the launch of Mission Indradhanush, India’s full immunization coverage was estimated at just 65%. A significant percentage of children either missed vaccinations or did not complete the full immunization schedule. Many lived in remote rural areas, urban slums, or conflict-affected zones where healthcare access was limited. These gaps left children vulnerable to deadly yet preventable diseases.

Mission Indradhanush was conceived to fix these disparities. By conducting focused campaigns and door-to-door outreach, the government could target regions with low immunization coverage and ensure that no child is left behind.

Key Features of the Program

1. Special Immunization Weeks:
   Under Mission Indradhanush, special immunization drives are held every month for a week, usually starting on the 7th. These drives are conducted in addition to routine immunization sessions.
2. High-Risk Area Mapping:
   The program prioritizes 201 high-focus districts identified based on low immunization coverage and health indicators. This includes areas with migratory populations, urban slums, tribal regions, and hard-to-reach rural areas.
3. Inter-Ministerial Collaboration:
   The mission is supported not only by the Ministry of Health but also by other ministries like Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, Urban Development, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs.
4. Use of ASHAs and ANMs:
   Frontline health workers such as ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) and ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwives) play a key role in reaching out to families, educating them, and administering vaccines.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)

To accelerate progress, the government launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) in 2017. IMI targeted districts and urban areas with persistently low immunization coverage. Under this intensified version:

• Campaigns are more aggressive and better supervised.
• Micro-planning and real-time monitoring are used for efficiency.
• Greater involvement of local governments and community leaders is encouraged.

In 2019, IMI 2.0 was introduced with even broader outreach, followed by IMI 3.0 in 2021 and IMI 5.0 in 2023–24, aiming to cover every child missed previously and enhance COVID-19 resilience.

Achievements and Impact

Mission Indradhanush has shown significant results since its launch:

• Increased immunization coverage: India’s full immunization coverage rose from 65% in 2014 to over 83% in several states by 2023.
• Millions of children reached: As per government data, more than 3.39 crore children and 87 lakh pregnant women have been vaccinated under various phases of Mission Indradhanush.
• Disease reduction: The incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio has drastically reduced, leading to better child survival rates.

Challenges Ahead

While the mission has made commendable progress, certain challenges remain:

• Vaccine hesitancy due to myths and misinformation.
• Logistics in remote areas, including cold chain maintenance.
• Migration and seasonal displacement of families.
• Limited awareness among parents about the importance of full immunization.

To address these, continued education, community engagement, and strengthening of health infrastructure are essential.

Conclusion

Mission Indradhanush is more than just a vaccination program — it’s a commitment to India’s future. By safeguarding children and mothers against life-threatening diseases, the initiative lays a strong foundation for a healthier and more productive nation. With consistent efforts, collaboration, and innovation, India is inching closer to its goal of universal immunization and health equity for all.