BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh leads the country and accounts for approximately 24 per cent of expectant mothers vaccinated across the nation, said National Health Mission (NHM) director Priyanka Das.
According to NHM director, this October, Madhya Pradesh became the state with the highest vaccination rate of pregnant women. As on November 16, the state has administered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 3.30 lakh pregnant women which accounts for approximately 24 percent of the total pregnant women vaccinated across the country.
This feat has been achieved due to a series of targeted interventions, which were part of Madhya Pradesh’s Jan Bhagidari approach and outreach model.
Initially, access to COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women in Madhya Pradesh was limited to District Hospitals, when introduced in July 2021. However, since Sub-Health Centres (SHCs) are the first point of contact for primary care, especially in rural areas, the supply of vaccines was extended to these facilities as well. Steps have been further taken to vaccinate the pregnant women in VHSND sessions, via mobile sessions and house-to-house vaccination, wherever needed. Special vaccination drives are conducted for pregnant and lactating women. The aim is to ensure that no one is left behind and everyone has access to life-saving vaccines.
The Surakshit Matritva Ashwasan (SUMAN) tele-calling system, which provides counselling for various maternal and child health services, is leveraged to track pregnant women after vaccination. Partnerships are forged with leading medical bodies such as the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India, Indian Association of Paediatrics, Indian Medical Association, and local NGOs to reduce information gaps, spread awareness and generate demand.
For targeted efforts towards beneficiary tracking, existing databases have been extensively leveraged. The ANM Online (ANMOL) portal, developed for the early identification and tracking of Eligible Couples, Pregnant Women and Children, is leveraged to identify pregnant and lactating women and mobilize them for COVID-19 vaccination. The line-lists of pregnant and lactating women generated from ANMOL are shared with a group of mobilizers such as ASHAs, Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) and Self-Help Group members to inform beneficiaries about their due dose and the importance of full vaccination.At the state level, district wise performance on pregnant women vaccination is closely tracked and reviewed.
At the facility level, lactating mothers, who bring their children for routine immunization at regular intervals, are also being provided COVID-19 vaccines. Special arrangements are being made for post-delivery vaccination and initiatives like the Teeka Trolly have been launched to enable vaccination in Out Patient Department (OPD) and hospital wards.
As a result of focused efforts to reach out to pregnant and lactating women, Madhya Pradesh has been able to bridge equity gaps, especially on gender, in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
