President Kovind launches Pulse Polio program for 2019

New Delhi, Mar 9 President Ram Nath Kovind launched the Pulse Polio program for 2019 on Saturday by overseeing polio drops to children below five years at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Kovind regulated the polio drops on the eve of National Immunization Day, which is seen on Sunday, a statement issued by the Health Ministry said.

In excess of 17 crore kids underneath five years the nation over will be given polio drops as a major aspect of the focal government's drive to sustain polio destruction from the nation, it said.

Talking at the function, Union Minister for Health J P Nadda said under the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Universal Immunization Program is centering to shield kids from more maladies than any time in recent memory and has presented a few new antibodies like pneumococcal conjugate immunization, rotavirus vaccine and measles-rubella vaccine in the recent past.

"To provide additional protection to our children, the government has also presented the injectable inactivated polio antibody into its normal vaccination program," Nadda said.

He said the administration is trying all endeavors to shield kids from illnesses and underscored that all immunizations under the program must reach every child of the country.

"Alongside the Universal Immunization Program of the nation, we have additionally propelled Mission Indradhanush to quicken our objective to accomplish in excess of 90 pc full immunisation coverage.

More than 3.39 crore children and 87 lakh pregnant ladies have been vaccinated through Mission Indradhanush drive, Nadda expounded.

Nadda educated that strengthening of immunisation program has contributed fundamentally to the decline of Infant Mortality Rate from 39 out of 2014 to 32 for each 1,000 live births in 2017.