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Raj Malhotra’s IAS Study Group<br />
Social Issues<br />
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) under Universal Immunization Programme<br />
(UIP) Introduced<br />
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) in the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) was introduced<br />
recently in Himachal Pradesh and parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the first phase. PCV protects children<br />
against severe forms of pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia and meningitis. Pneumonia kills more<br />
children under five years of age in India than any other infectious disease. Pneumococcal disease is the leading<br />
cause of vaccine preventable deaths in children under five years of age globally and in India.<br />
Darwaza Band for open defecation<br />
The centre launched an aggressive new campaign titled 'Darwaza Band' to promote toilet use and freedom from<br />
open defecation across the country's villages. The campaign produced by the Ministry of Drinking Water and<br />
Sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission was launched in the presence of Amitabh Bachchan, Union Minister for<br />
Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra<br />
Fadnavis, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Shri Parameswaran Iyer. The Union Minister and<br />
the State Chief Minister also reviewed the working of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) programme in<br />
Maharashtra ahead of the event. Champion functionaries from the State of Maharashtra were awarded during<br />
the event. An exhibition displaying various toilet technologies was also put up.<br />
The 'Darwaza Band' campaign has been supported by the World Bank and is being rolled out countrywide<br />
immediately after the launch. It is designed to encourage behaviour change in men who have toilets but are not<br />
using them. A part of the campaign also features actor, Ms Anushka Sharma, who will be seen encouraging<br />
women to stand up for this issue in their villages and assume a leadership role. Behaviour change has been the<br />
focus of Swachh Bharat Mission, which is being pursued through a countrywide comprehensive IEC(Information-<br />
Education-Communication) programme. Communication campaigns have been taken up both, at the central and<br />
State levels, for promoting sustained use of toilets and for sustaining the Open Defecation Free status achieved.<br />
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Health Secretary inaugurates ‘Vatsalya –<br />
Maatri Amrit Kosh’, a National Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre<br />
C K Mishra, Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) inaugurated the ‘Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh’, a National<br />
Human Milk Bank and Lactation Counselling Centre at the Lady Hardinge Medical College . Shri C K Mishra<br />
congratulated the LHMC, Delhi for this initiative and said that this would be the largest human milk bank and<br />
lactation counselling centre available under the public sector in North India. The Health Secretary further added<br />
that it is envisaged that with this donor human milk bank, all newborns in and around Delhi will have access to<br />
life saving human milk regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Mr Nils Ragnar Kamsvag, Ambassador of<br />
Norway to India, was also present at the occasion. “Vatsalya – Maatri Amrit Kosh” is established in collaboration<br />
with the Norwegian government, Oslo University and Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI).<br />
Shri Mishra said that even when we know the potential of mother’s milk for a child, breastfeeding rates are low<br />
in India. He informed the participants that the early initiation of breastfeeding is only 40%, even when the<br />
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