Yupia, May 7: The first quarter District Task Force for Immunization (DTFI) meeting was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Jiken Bomjen to accelerate efforts toward the elimination of Measles and Rubella (MR) by the target year 2026. The meeting 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.
In his opening remarks, the DC emphasized the need to strengthen ground-level and field workers, ensuring that awareness about MR and the importance of vaccination reaches every household and even the remotest crossroads. He reiterated that strong community engagement and effective communication are pivotal in achieving total immunization coverage and leaving no child behind.
Dr. Rina Ronya, District Medical Officer, also addressed the gathering and highlighted the importance of intensifying IEC efforts, especially in under-covered and hesitant areas. She stressed that effective communication at grassroot levels is crucial to increasing trust in the vaccine and mobilizing community participation.
Dr. Randeep Saha, SMO, World Health Organization (WHO), provided a comprehensive overview of the national MR elimination campaign. He emphasized that IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) must remain the central focus of all activities. He also underscored the importance of robust surveillance mechanisms in identifying outbreaks and breaking the transmission chain to eliminate MR cases by December 26, 2026.  
Dr. Saha further advocated for multi-sectoral engagement, urging various departments and community-based organizations to work in tandem to maximize outreach during MR vaccination campaigns. He discussed 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, he compared and analyzed previous years’ campaign performance, deriving key findings and insights that can help sharpen 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 that is 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 program. The campaign primarily targets children aged 0 to 2 years and pregnant women, with the goal of achieving 100% coverage and ensuring no child is left out of receiving the MR vaccine.

---

Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

<< Back to News List