Pneumococcal pneumonia, caused by Streptococcus Pneumoniae,  is a leading cause of pneumonia-related morbidity and mortality in children.

In 2015, Streptococcus Pneumoniae was responsible for an estimated 1.6 million cases of severe pneumococcal disease (including severe pneumonia and meningitis) and nearly 68,700 deaths in children between 1-59 months of age.

Addressing Gaps and Challenges

  • In May 2017, India introduced Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) as part of the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) in a phased manner.
    On 29 October 2021, the Government of India celebrated the nationwide expansion of PCV as part of the “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” initiative. Including PCV in the country’s national immunization program is expected to save an estimated 50,000 lives a year.
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Key Objectives

To reduce under-five and infant mortality rate in the country, especially cases that are linked to pneumonia.

To undertake phased introduction of PCV across the country and reach the unreached.

To ensure monitoring and supportive supervision at all levels to observe the trend of vaccination and turn-out.

JSIPL’s Role in Scaling-up PCV

The MoHFW launched a phased introduction of PCV in its national immunization program in 2017, and as of 2020, PCV had been expanded to five states. In October 2020, JSIPL was requested by the Immunization Division, MoHFW, to provide techno-managerial support for the expansion of PCV to the remaining 31 states and union territories.

Support was provided to MoHFW to prepare a State-wise phasing plan for PCV introduction based on the vaccine availability and states preparedness. The national and state-level technical staff of JSIPL forged a formidable team to ensure a smooth roll-out of PCV in the country.

Using the hybrid model, many frontline healthcare workers were trained in a short time on all aspects of PCV introduction.

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Achievements

  • Expanded PCV nationwide well before its scheduled target of March 2022 while overcoming the challenges of COVID-19.
  • Organized hybrid training on PCV introduction with 33,000 Medical Officers, 30,000 Cold Chain Handlers, 1.5 lakh Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM), and 4.5 lakh Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi Workers (AWW).
  • Finalized and deployed the PCV Roll-Out Monitoring and Preparedness Tool (PROMPT) for preparedness assessment of PCV implementation.
  • Developed rapid monitoring tools for supportive supervision at cold chain points and session sites.
  • Created audio-visual aids, chatbots, and interactive games in all regional languages for community awareness and use by healthcare workers.
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Looking Ahead

After expanding to all states across the country, JSIPL will continue to support the national and state government by monitoring the implementation of the vaccine, coverage reporting, refresher training, etc.

Going forward, JSIPL will focus on devising new strategies and interventions to ensure no child misses the PCV vaccine.

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