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Only 55 per cent children fully vaccinated in State

BANGALORE: As another Children’s Day arrives, here is a piece of news that gives little cause for celebration. The public health system has failed our children in a crucial aspect of well-being. Only 55 per cent children in the age group of 12 to 23 months in Karnataka are fully vaccinated against six major childhood illnesses – tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, and measles.

This was revealed in the recently released National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 for 2005-06 for Karnataka.

More worryingly, this represents a decline in coverage from 1998-99 when 60 per cent children were immunised. In fact, India has the dubious distinction of having the lowest child immunisation rate in South Asia. The proportion of children who have not had a BCG vaccine in India is twice as high as in Nepal, more than five times in Bangladesh and more than 30 times in Sri Lanka, according to a document brought out by the Planning Commission.

The coverage in the country is 44 per cent, with Tamil Nadu leading with 81 per cent, and Nagaland the lowest with 21 per cent.

Eighty-eight per cent of children in Karnataka received the BCG vaccination. However, only three out of four (74 per cent) children received at least the recommended three doses each of the DPT and polio vaccines and 72 per cent received the measles vaccine. Nearly 25 per cent of children in the State have not received three doses of polio vaccine, despite the Pulse Polio Campaign and widespread attempts to eradicate the disease in the country, the survey said.

Malnutrition continued to be a significant problem for children in the State with nearly 44 per cent of children under five years being stunted owing to inadequate food intake and illness. A high number (70 per cent) of children in the age group of 6 to 59 months were suffering from anaemia in the State, the survey said.

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme funded by the Centre provided nutrition and health services for children under age six and pregnant or breastfeeding women as well as pre-school activities for children aged 3 to 5. These services were provided through community-based anganwadi centres. The most common services children received were supplementary food (28 per cent) and immunisation (26 per cent). One-third children of age 3 to 5 received early childhood care or pre-school services, the survey said. Only about 18 per cent children received health check-up and growth monitoring services at each anganawadi centre, according to the survey.

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