Reorienting Immunization Services: Diarrhoea in Vulnerable Population in India

A great majority (72%) of Indian population lives in un-sanitary conditions and nearly 50% suffers from chronic undernutrition that pre-dispose them to frequent episodes of diarrhoeas of different etiologies. The diarrhoeal outbreaks contributed to 44.9% of infectious disease outbreaks in 2008 despite significant improvement in safe drinking water supply. The article has a view point that the available vaccines against diarrhoeal diseases should be used in India for vulnerable populations living in settings wherein safe drinking water at point-of-use; and sanitation is still a distant reality. Immunization service should not merely emphasize on prevention of diseases in an isolated manner but it needs to be re-oriented synergistically with other public health interventions leading to health protection, health promotion and subsequent overall health improvement.