KATHMANDU, July 15: With the declaration of Full Immunization Assurance and Sustainability by Kathmandu, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Sunsari, Dolpa and Kailali districts on Monday alone, all the districts across Nepal have been fully immunized.
Chief of Child Health and Immunization Service Section under the Family Welfare Division, Dr Abhiyan Gautam, said the task of declaring full immunization assurance and sustainability in the country had started around two decades ago.
Palpa was declared a fully immunized district for the first time in the country. Dr Gautam shared, "Full immunization assurance and sustainability declaration is not only an announcement. It is one of the significant steps carried out for the health security of the children."
Thapathan declared fully immunized and literate VDC
Similarly, Chief of Family Welfare Division, Dr Bibek Lal, mentioned that full immunization assurance and sustainability declaration was possible through dedication of health workers and women community health volunteers, leadership and ownership of local people's representatives, trust of guardians and collaboration of communities.
A door-to-door campaign is launched every year and it is identified whether or not the children below two years have been administered with all vaccines, and the children who missed to get all vaccines are given the vaccination.
Section Chief Dr Gautam added that 18 doses of nine types of vaccines are administered to children below two years.
Similarly, Madhesh Province has already declared full immunization assurance and sustainability while other provinces have made preparations for the same.
There was support from the World Health Organisation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF as well as other organisations for declaring all the districts in the country as the fully immunized zones, he mentioned.