Bhubaneswar: The UNICEF report ‘The State of the World’s Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination” has praised Odisha for the immunisation coverage in the state. “The immunization coverage in Odisha has been really noteworthy, with 90.5% of children fully immunized –significantly higher than the national average of 76.4%,” it said.
The UNICEF report, released by India on Thursday, is based on data collected by The Vaccine Confidence Project (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), revealed that China, India, and Mexico are the only countries out of 55 nations where the popular perception of the importance of vaccines for children held firm or improved.
“This has been possible due to unique initiatives by the Government of Odisha to immunise children in hard-to-reach areas and encourage the participation of the community through Panchayati Raj institutions and self-help groups, especially in low-coverage areas. As a result, 20 out of the state’s 30 districts have achieved more than 90% full immunisation coverage,” the report states.
“Odisha’s high immunisation rates are despite the significant challenges posed by the state’s hilly terrain and forest cover, especially in 144 tribal blocks and 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) residing in areas with non-motorable roads and seasonally cut-off villages. To ensure full immunisation people were motivated through special campaigns ensuring frontline workers travel to remote pockets and families are reached for immunization,” the UNICEF report observes.
The state government’s investment to ensure an efficient cold chain system to maintain the potency and effectiveness of vaccines throughout the state has also been acknowledged as a driver for the high quality of immunization coverage in Odisha,” the report states further.
UNICEF India Representative Cynthia said the report highlights India as one of the countries with the highest vaccine confidence in the world.
The Odisha CMO tweeted, “In yet another accomplishment for #Odisha, the State has been lauded by
@UNICEF for immunising more than 90% of children, which is more than the national average of 76.4 %. Odisha’s consistent efforts to save precious lives continue to garner accolades. #OdishaCares”
