NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Microsoft Chief Software Architect and Chairman Bill Gates will launch the second phase of the partnership project for the introduction of Hepatitis B vaccine, and strengthening of immunisation services in Andhra Pradesh on November 14.
This phase, with assistance of 12.5 million dollars from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aims to improve immunisation services, Children's Vaccine Programme Project Manager Dr Raj Kumar said on Sunday.
The foundation has given a total grant of $25 million for the project.
Indian Rotavirus Vaccine Development project would get $ 6.5 million and the balance $ 6 million would go towards administrative costs and technical assistance, he said.
"Rotavirus is claiming 600,000 lives worldwide. The development of Indian Rotavirus vaccine would take another two to three years," Dr Raj said.
"Bill Gates is coming to the state to mark the expansion of the programme to six more districts in the state. He will associate with the Phase-II launch in Shadnagar town near Hyderabad," he said.
"Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country that has introduced Hepatitis B vaccine as part of routine immunisation of all newborn infants. It is also the first state to promote safe injection practices through the usage of auto-disable syringes and to create a name-based registry for tracking immunisation of every child," Dr Raj said.
Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Warangal and Adilabad districts with a population of 20 million will be covered in the second phase, he said.
About 1.8 million doses of Hepatitis B vaccine and 6.6 million auto-disposable syringes have been procured.
The first phase was launched on November 9 last year in six districts after a full year of system enhancements, refresher training and new policy development. About 3,00,000 infants were vaccinated in Guntur, Mahbubnagar, Chittoor, Anantapur, Kurnool and Cuddapah districts.
Under the second phase of the programme, another half a million infants will have access to Hepatitis B vaccine, taking the total coverage to one million children a year.
The third phase will be launched in the remaining 11 districts with a population of 31.5 million in November 2003.
Close to 1.65 million children will be immunised every year against seven major vaccine-preventable diseases, including Hepatitis B.
Once the project is fully implemented, the routine immunisation coverage would exceed 85 per cent for the seven vaccines for children under 12 months of age.
The Andhra Pradesh government, he added, is funding the project to the tune of Rs 300 million over the five-year timeframe of the project, which commenced in April 2001.
The project started with 100 per cent funding from the foundation in the first year. But on completion of the fifth year in March 2006, the state government would fully manage and fund the entire programme.
Also Read: Bill Gates arrives in Delhi on 4-day visit
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
