J P Nadda asks Red Cross members to actively participate in Mission Indradhanush

Union Health Minister J P Nadda has asked members of the Red Cross to actively participate in its deworming initiative and Mission Indradhanush which is a special drive to vaccinate children. Speaking in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Nadda also stressed on the need to enhance the quality of first aid training for strengthening service delivery.

He said the Mission Indradhanush, depicting seven colours of the rainbow, provides vaccination for seven preventable diseases namely-



diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and Hepatitis B. The Minister said, 2 crore 70 lakh children are born every year and nearly 90 lakh of them are not immunised.

Mr Nadda said, His ministry has been able to provide total immunisation to 54 lakh children and 55 lakh mothers.The India Red Cross can play a very important role in the deworming initiative of the government that aims to protect more than 24 crore children between the ages of 1-19 years.