While speaking on the occasion of launching of media campaign on Hepatitis-B in Mumbai, JP Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare said that the Government is committed to extend the immunisation programme to the last child of the country.

The Minister assured that government will provide all possible support, so that the goal of eradication of Hepatitis-B would be achieved. He further said that Hepatitis-B vaccination would be made part of the ambitious Indradhanush programme and in the couple of years 65 to 90% coverage would be achieved.

The drive will aim to create awareness about Hepatitis-B and its vaccine through uninhibited confessions led by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Amitabh Bachchan.

In India, approximately 10 lakh children, on an annual basis, run the lifetime risk of developing chronic Hepatitis infections, leading to life-threatening issues including liver cancer, liver failure and a possibility of premature death. Despite continuous efforts, only 65% children in India had access to all vaccines during the first year of their life. Today, Routine Immunization (RI) in India targets 27 million infants and 30 million expecting mothers, saving 300,000 million lives each year.

Louis Georges Arsenault, UNICEF India Representative said, “Preventing Hepatitis-B through immunisation at birth and the first year of life is critical for the healthy life of a child. If we could achieve the extraordinary feat of defeating polio, we can surely join hands and also prevent this life threatening disease through timely Routine Immunisation.”