Recently MIF and Shantha Biotech joined hands together to support the accessibility of Hepatitis B Vaccines among underprivileged kids in rural India. Shantha Biotech has gracefully donated 125 vials (2500 Paediatric doses) of Hepatitis B in May this year and offers to donate same amount every year, in order to support free vaccination program of MIF.

Shantha Biotech is one of the pioneer in biotechnology in India and was the first company to Develop, Manufacture and Market an indigenously developed r-DNA Hepatitis-B Vaccine based in Hyderabad, India. Shantha biotech was established in 1993 and today Shantha’s Business Domain encompasses the complete spectrum of human health care biotechnology by adopting an integrated research, manufacturing an marketing model. Shantha Biotechnics is now a Sanofi Company.

BIOLOGICAL E

Biological E, a premier Biotechnology company based on Hyderabad has donated 100 vials (2000 paediatrics doses) of Hepatitis B to MIF recently. MIF and Biological E joined hands together in 2011 and Biological E donated 1947 adult doses of Hepatitis B to MIF last year.

Biological E is a biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and markets innovative vaccines and biologics that responds to the health care needs worldwide. Based in Hyderabad, Biological E established in 1953, was India’s first private sector biopharmaceutical company.

Typhoid fever can be endemic but simultaneously it can change it role to epidemics in case of breakdowns in water supplies and sanitation systems.

In Developed countries the introduction of antibiotics and improved living conditions drastically changed the morbidity as well as mortality rate due to Typhoid fever but it remains a threat to Asian, African and Latin American countries.

Mother & Infant Foundation (MIF) has been working towards strategic immunization program in rural India in order to lessen the socio-economic costs related to Typhoid fever. Vollaard AM et al. mentioned that the hospitalization costs related to Typhoid fever ranged from US$ 129 in Kolkata to US$ 820 in Delhi (Vollaard AM et al., 2004 as mentioned in WHO, 2008). Thus, keeping in view of the importance of prevention of Typhoid disease, MIF’s launched its Typhoid vaccination program in 2011 and since then MIF administered more than 3500 doses of Typhoid vaccines to the kids aged between 2-18 years of old.

Currently two types of typhoid vaccines are in use. First one is injectable Vi Polysaccharide vaccine and the second one is oral Ty21a vaccine. MIF uses Vi polysaccharide vaccine in its Vaccine Center.

It is important that the entire Typhoid immunization program includes other elements like health education, improvement in water and sanitation system. MIF has been working in the same direction. MIF has an outreach team which has been visiting communities on a day to day basis and educate people about the importance of Typhoid vaccination as well as other public health related issues related to Typhoid fever.

MIF is an US-based charity organization working in the field of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in rural India. MIF’s mission is to provide access to the vaccines that children need to prevent diseases, by making them available free of cost. MIF also provides community health education and counseling on Reproductive and Child Health (RCH).

World Immunization Week is an initiative of World Health Organization (WHO) in order to unite countries across the globe for a week of vaccination campaigns, public health education and information sharing. This year World Immunization Week scheduled from 21st April to 28th April.

Immunization week was an event, which highlighted the importance of protecting kids from vaccine preventable diseases. Vaccines are among the safest modern medical interventions and cost effective public health tools available for preventing diseases and death. Immunization not only protects vaccinated individuals but also helps a community by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases through the Herd Immunity. Immunization is also a shared responsibility between Individuals, families, health workers, public health officials and everyone should work together to protect the kids in particular and the whole community in general.

Being a leader in free vaccination activity in Haryana, India Mother & Infant Foundation (MIF) participated in this program by spreading the importance of immunization in Narnaul and its adjacent areas.

During this week MIF’s specialized outreach team visited various play schools and met the parents and teachers. The team explained everyone about the importance of childhood immunization and about the services offered in MIF’s Free Vaccine Center. The team also announced for a painting competition about the importance of childhood immunization for the school kids. In order to participate in the competition, school kids were advised to submit their entries in MIF’s Free Vaccine Center within one week of the announcement of the competition. The idea behind this competition was to raise the awareness about the importance of immunization among the kids and encourage them to participate in MIF’s immunization program.

MIF also coordinated with other NGOs like Red Cross, Haryana Yuva Ranga Mancha and local Medical Centers in order to create awareness about all New and Under Utilized Vaccines (NUVI) like Hepatitis B, Typhoid, MMR etc.

At present MIF has been administering Hepatitis B, Typhoid and MMR vaccines free of cost to all the kids living in Narnaul and its near by villages. This project was launched in April 2010 and since then MIF administered more than 15,000 doses of vaccines to the kids.  Apart from vaccination, MIF has been doing regular community health awareness program on Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) issues.

School kids participating in painting competition

Every year, World Health Day is celebrated on 7^th April to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organization.

Mother & Infant Foundation (MIF) also celebrated World Health Day on 7^th April in Narnaul along with another celebration- the second anniversary of MIF’s immunization campaign in India.

On 7^th April 2010, MIF launched its Immunization campaign in Haryana. Since then MIF has provided more than 14500 doses of life saving vaccines like Hepatitis B, Typhoid and MMR to the underprivileged kids around Narnaul.

Dr. Deepak Singhal attended the program as a Chief Guest and Dr. Surender Yadav as Guest of Honour. The celebration started with a painting competition on the subject of Good Health. Dozens of local kids participated in that competition and participated other events of the program too.

Honouring village head by Dr. Surender Yadav and Santanu Sarma

In this event MIF honoured local village headmen and Anganwadi workers as well as ANMs (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) for their outstanding contribution to the local community and MIF’s immunization campaign.

Haryana Yuva Rnaga Manch, a cultural group from Narnaul participated in celebration and exhibited Haryana folk dances and other programs related to health awareness.

The MIF itself chimed in, with Program Coordinator Santanu urged local community leaders to take a pledge for a fully immunized society.

Another special feature of the celebration was “an open forum discussion”. In

Participants of the celebration

that forum discussion community members and community heads participated and expressed their views on Good Health and the importance of childhood vaccination. Dr. Surender Yadav, Guest of Honor shared his experience with everyone and appealed parents to provide their kids all the doses of life saving vaccines.

The program ended with a group discussion among MIF’s volunteers about MIF’s upcoming community health advocacy programs.

How to tie deep surgical knots?

A medical workshop on the techniques of surgical suturing and Intra-venous (IV) catheter insertion for medical students was organized by Handa Medical Group to raise funds for Mother & Infant Foundation. The workshop was held at Saints Mary & Elizabeth Medical Center, Chicago.

Medical students were given practical training in the aspects of surgical suturing. They tried their hands on animal-models and drapes, learning the basics of various kinds of suture methods. In the second session, students learned and practiced how to insert cannulas into peripheral veins on artificial IV arm simulators. The participants took keen interest in the workshop and liked the ‘hands on’ opportunity to sharpen their skills.

Ivan teaching the techniques of suturing on animal models

The course was conducted by doctors (Drs Tarsha and Bharti), Surgical Assistants (Ivan and Paul) and a phlebotomist.

Special thanks to Sunny Handa who made this workshop a possibility. He is our Brand Ambassador also. Board members from MIF- Dr Munish Kumar and Hirak Vora- also participated in the workshop.
Handa Medical Group is a Chicago-based placement agency for International Medical Graduates for their clinical rotations in USA.

Next workshop is scheduled to be held in last week of April, 2012.

Vaccine World Summit, held in Hyderabad from 12-14^th March, 2012 was an excellent event organized in conjunction with Developing countries vaccine manufacturers network and managed by IMAPAC Pte Ltd. More than 30 world-class speakers presented their experiences along with new developments in the field of vaccine manufacturing as well as supply of high quality vaccines for the mass.

The main focus of the conference was latest success strategies for vaccines in India and rest of the world, new technical inventions in the filed of vaccine manufacturing, R&D funding and novel vaccines. Behind this summit there was a novel cause- increasing the availability of life saving vaccines, decrease the cost of these vaccines while maintaining its worldwide standard and work along with Government, civil society organizations to find a cure for the diseases that disturbs the lives of people.

Indian vaccine industry has been playing a vital role in the world vaccine supply chain. More than 60% vaccines supplied to United Nations agencies were supplied by Indian manufacturers. In this summit other world’s leading vaccines manufacturers discussed about a partnership in a global initiative for the development of cost-effective vaccines against threats like swine flu, meningitis, Japanese Encephalitis etc.

In the first day of the summit various issues have been addressed: Vaccine market, strategic planning and industry tools, Vaccine regulations and pricing, New vaccine development and innovations from developing world vaccine manufacturers like India.

In the second day of the summit following issues have been addresses: Vaccine manufacturing technologies, Innovations in vaccine design, manufacturing and delivery system.

The third day was more focused on various case studies related to cancer vaccines and influenza vaccines.

Leading International Vaccine leaders as well as Indian vaccine manufacturers and NGOs attended the summit. From Indian side Shantha Biotechnics, Serum Institute, Biological E, Bharat Biotech, Indian Immunoloigcals, Zydus Cadila India, Panacea participated in the summit. Other organizations participated in the summit were Merk, Wellcome trust, NNE Pharmaplan, EMD Millipore, Biozeen, GE Healthcare, Novartis Vaccine Institute, Sheffield Bio-Science, Mucosis and many more.

On behalf of Mother & Infant Foundation, Santanu Sarma, Program Coordinator participated in the summit. During the summit he advocated for introduction of Newer and Under Utilized Vaccines (NUVI) in Indian Immunization program. India has not able to go beyond its traditional 6 vaccines (TB, Polio, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus and Measles) in its immunization schedule. On the other hand all the developed countries have increasingly taken up other life saving vaccines like Hepatitis B, Chicken pox, HiB, Pneumococcal etc. Campaigning on behalf of MIF, Santanu Sarma emphasised on a private-public partnership model of immunization in India where Indian Government works along with other private vaccine providers (including not for profit organizations) towards a goal of 100% children being fully immunized. Recent statistics shows that only 44% of Indian children are fully immunized. All the Vaccine Manufacturers can also play a vital role towards fulfilling this gap and during this summit; MIF participated in different one-to-one discussion with vaccine manufacturers for a better service delivery model and a collaboration of for-the-profit and not-for-the-profit organizations towards one goal- a fully immunized society.

While the original name Mission India Foundation was appealing, we decided to change the name to Mother & Infant Foundation to bring the name of the organization in tune with the work we are doing,ie, Maternal and Child Health. The new name “Mother & Infant Foundation” aptly conveys that.

While we have changed the name, our Mission continues to be the same: providing Immunizations for kids. The core idea remains the same: Creating awareness about vaccines in rural areas of India and providing them to children.

January 24 2012: Mission India Foundation, a US based charity organization launched the second phase of MMR vaccination program in Naranul, Haryana (about 150 KM from New Delhi). Mission India Foundation initially had launched its first phase of MMR vaccination program in 2010. During the first phase of campaign MIF administered 4000 MMR vaccines to the kids in and around Narnaul.

MIF has a target to immunize 2000 children with this MMR vaccination. Under the scheme, MIF issues Immunization Cards which will reach the targeted children living in the underprivileged areas. The vaccine is given at its Vaccine Center located at Dr Singhal’s Nursing Home in Narnaul. The vaccines are administered by MIF’s trained ANM under the guidance of a Doctor. The current lot of MMR vaccines have been donated by Serum Institute of India and these all vaccines will be provided free of cost to the kids aged 1 to 8 years.

On the day of the launch 69 kids were vaccinated with MMR vaccine.

Mission India Foundation graciously thanks Serum Institute of India for donating 2000 doses of MMR Vaccine in the first week of January 2012. MIF provides free vaccines to children in rural parts of India. We focus on providing those vaccines that are not covered in the Government-administered Universal Immunization Program (UIP).  MMR vaccine is one such example. We would also like to express our words of appreciation for Dr. Kavita Singh, who served as a honorary Board Member at MIF last year. She initiated the contact with Serum Institute and helped the charity secure the donation of vaccines.

Accordingly Mission India Foundation is going to launch its second phase of MMR vaccination from 24^th January, 2012. Mission India Foundation initially had launched its first phase of MMR vaccination program in 2010. During the first phase of campaign MIF administered 4000 MMR vaccines to the kids in and around Narnaul.

Pune-based Serum Institute of India is a major vaccine manufacturer on a global level. Mission India Foundation hopes that the company would continue to partner with such non profits to continue the mission of reaching the kids with life-saving vaccines in remote parts of India.