New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the nation on the occasion of World Health Day on Tuesday, and also said that securing food safety is of utmost importance for the good health of the nation.
Modi also said that, "the government is working tirelessly to realise the dream of a healthy India where every citizen has access to proper & affordable healthcare".
In a series of tweets, the prime minister said that, "On World Health Day, I pray that all of you remain in the best of health & at the same time inspire others to lead a healthy life", and, "Theme of this year's World Health Day, Food Safety is an essential pre-condition for good health & we all must focus on it".
Meanwhile on World Health Day, India today began a massive immunisation campaign to cover by 2020 all children who are either unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated against seven preventable diseases.
Mission 'Indradhanush' started with a "catch-up" campaign from April to July which will cover all children up to two years and pregnant women, Health Minister J P Nadda said, stressing that the programme will be monitored for its effective implementation.
Depicting seven colours of the rainbow, Mission Indradhanush will provide vaccination to children against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.
The mission in addition will also provide vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenza Type B in selected districts.
"Mission Indradhanush beginning April 7, catch-up campaign during April, May, June and July to cover all children upto two years and pregnant women," Nadda said in a tweet as the exercise began.
He said the ministry had involved the Members of Parliament to publicise the mission. "I am greatly encouraged by the response from MPs... Massive framework put in place to monitor effective implementation of Mission Indradhanush," he said.
Focus will be on 201 high-priority districts with largest number of partially-vaccinated and unvaccinated children during the first phase, Health Ministry had earlier said. Under the second phase, 297 more districts will be covered.
Nadda had earlier said that despite the provision of free vaccination for the past more than 30 years, only 65 per cent children in India receive all vaccines during their first years of life and the coverage had increased by only four per cent in the last four years-- at the rate of 1 per cent per year.
"We aim to increase the coverage to 90 per cent and sustain it by 2020," he had said.
The focused and systematic immunization drive will be through the 'catch-up' campaign mode where the aim is to cover all the children who missed out.
Mr B P Sharma, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) inaugurated the health screening camp organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to mark the World Health Day at Nirman Bhawan, here today.
Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary stated that in keeping with the theme of WHO for the World Health Day-“From Farm to Plate- Make Food Safe”, the Ministry has taken several measures to ensure safety of food products. He stressed on people adopting healthy daily habits and a regular regime of exercise for a healthy life.
The screening camp attached hundreds of officers and staff from various ministries/departments housed in Nirman Bhawan and nearby offices. More than 450 persons registered for Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD) including 150 women and 300 men.
About 1600 persons came to test for blood sugar, blood pressure, height and weight for Body Mass Index (BMI). Such health camps are regularly held by the Health Ministry to create awareness regarding health issues and to encourage build up of a health seeking behaviour in people.
Also present at the occasion were Mr C K Mishra, Addl. Secretary and MD, National Health Mission (NHM); Dr Arun K Panda, Addl. Secretary (Health), several senior officers and staff of the Health Ministry and other ministries located at Nirman Bhawan.
