YUPIA, 7 May: Papum Pare deputy commissioner Jiken Bomjen emphasized the need to strengthen ground-level and field workers to ensure that awareness about Measles-Rubella (MR) and the importance of vaccination reaches every household, including the remotest crossroads.
The DC, who chaired a District Task Force for Immunization meeting on Wednesday, reiterated that strong community engagement and effective communication are vital to achieving total immunization coverage and ensuring that no child is left behind.
The meeting was held to accelerate efforts toward the elimination of Measles and Rubella by the target year 2026.
It brought together key health officials, partners, and field-level stakeholders to review progress, discuss strategies, and reinforce the importance of Intensified Social and Behavior Change Communication (IEC/ISE) activities in the fight against MR.
District medical officer Dr. Rina Ronya highlighted the importance of intensifying IEC efforts, especially, in under-covered and vaccine-hesitant areas. She stressed that effective communication at the grassroots level is crucial to building trust in the vaccine and mobilizing community participation.
World Health Organization SMO Dr. Randeep Saha provided a comprehensive overview of the national MR elimination campaign.
He emphasized that Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) must remain the central focus of all activities. Dr. Saha underscored the importance of robust surveillance mechanisms for identifying outbreaks and breaking the transmission chain to eliminate MR cases by December 26, 2026.
He further advocated for multi-sectoral engagement, urging various departments and community-based organizations to work in tandem to maximize outreach during MR vaccination campaigns.
Additionally, Dr. Saha highlighted various communication channels and tools that can be leveraged to boost awareness, such as local media, schools, health workers, and grassroots platforms.
In his data presentation, Dr. Saha compared and analyzed the performance of previous years’ campaigns, deriving key findings and insights to help refine future strategies.
As a key recommendation, Dr. Saha called for a comprehensive review of data-driven findings to support the development of an updated micro-plan grounded in evidence and tailored to local challenges.
The meeting also focused on sensitizing medical officer in-charges and other stakeholders about the objectives and operational strategies of the MR elimination programme.
The campaign primarily targets children aged 0 to 2 years and pregnant women, with the goal of achieving 100 percent coverage and ensuring that no child is left out of receiving the MR vaccine.