Public Health Foundation of India is a foundation launched by the former Prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh in the year 2006. The foundation helps to build institutional and systems capacity in India for strengthening education, training, research and policy development in the area of Public Health.
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Good health is important as it is the key to a good life, and, good nutrition is the key to a healthy lifestyle. If a person is healthy, he will have a strong working heart, muscles, bones and social life too. In India, around 8 in 10 people are suffering from health issues. The root of good health and healthy living is timely immunization to children and would be mothers and most of the people are either unaware of this or are not capable enough to have vaccinations properly and on time.
The Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) of the Government of India is working for the betterment in health. They aim to achieve full immunization stage of everyone, especially the target-age children and mothers in India. They are providing the same through state-and district-specific delivery of vaccines and reaching out to the maximum people, mainly the underprivileged ones. 2012 was declared as the Year of Intensification of Routine Immunization (RI) in India. This was the time when the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, started their efforts around immunization and MoHFW entered into MoU, Memorandum of Understanding along with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Then came ITSU, Immunization Technical Support Unit, established collaboratively by MoU, MoHFW and PHFI (Public Health Foundation of India), in collaboration with other partners as well. The efforts are being made to make a real change and impact on the health system, various national programs are being organized with the government and other stakeholders including civil society organizations. BMGF gives the funding support to ITSU, which helps ITSU to provide techno-managerial support for scaling up UIP.
ITSU also enables the system strengthening which aims for quality services and they support the implementation of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Multi-Year Strategic Plan for Immunization. They are trying to improve the access, reach, quality and coverage of the routine immunization program in India, focusing majorly on states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for complete vaccination system.
Recently the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) has launched the Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) with the help and support of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It happened after a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) which was approved and signed by the MoHFW and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The aim of the ITSU (Immunization Technical Support Unit) as envisioned by the Indian Government when it announced in 2012 as the Year of Intensification of Routine Immunization, is to execute the target of absolute immunization of mothers and kids in the target age in each state of India. It will be achieved with the supply of vaccines in each and every district and state in India.
ITSU launched by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is also accountable to coordinate with the other partners to disperse more awareness among the people. It also works towards contouring the complete vaccine making and supply procedure. It is giving active support to the Multi-Year Strategic Plan for Immunization which was planned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It works with the government and non-governmental companies as well as local and national civic bodies to create an extended system and road map for prompt supply of vaccines to the target demographic within the stipulated time frame in cost-efficient ways that don’t compromise on the standard of the vaccines.
ITSU from the Public Health Foundation of India has experts who work at the state level to apply booming communications, advocacy and management initiatives. Even special care is taken to ensure that the vaccination process reaches even the most remote places in each state of India. It engages in a driving process of learning from same initiatives internationally to create roads to work in the local context.
The Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) along with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Routine Immunisation(RI), Government of India is working on the Vaccination and health department. Under Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), MoHFW and the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), target of providing vaccines to every district of the states has been a successful drive. The motive is to provide all the essential vaccines to the children and mothers, specifically. Public Health Foundation of India works on the social, cultural and economic determinants of health and efficient health systems.
Public Health Foundation of India help in various sectors like Education, Training & Research and Policy Development in the area of Public Health. This foundation provides essential health packages for India.
The new areas have been discovered in current vaccine research which contains very useful information: New effective vaccines are in development which will be used for the diseases yet to be controlled; DNA Vaccines and Use of Adjuvants are the new technologies which will be highly beneficial; Easy methods of delivery of the vaccines e.g. aerosol vaccines, vaccine patches, etc.
DNA Vaccines are very effective and has a long-lasting immunity. These vaccines have induced immunity in the injection which make a specific portion of the pathogen in the vaccine recipient. Because of its very few side effects, the vaccine only uses the necessary component of the bacteria or virus to make a very small amount of antigen. Also, the another research going on is the development of a vaccine for the vulnerable and high-risk groups such as pregnant women, new-born babies and those having very less immunity strength in their bodies. The vaccine additives such as Adjuvants stimulate the immune system and its discovery can make the existing vaccines better in effectiveness. For diseases such as influenza, cancers and HIV, several adjuvants are under clinical trials and practices, to ensure the best Vaccination in the coming future.
As the name states, the Immunization Technical Support Unit aims to achieve full immunization of children and mothers in India. ITSU came into picture with the efforts of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Public Health Foundation of India in 2012. This unit works in collaboration with organizations and research institutes to strengthen the health workforce in the nation.
Health care is said to be the right of every citizen and deserves basic health facilities as and when needed. For providing the same, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare initiates various health schemes and programs for women, children, senior citizen, etc. As the part of such initiatives, ITSU was developed with core purpose of:
ITSU is based on a unique structure which works as a strong team. It can be understood as:
ITSU acts as a catalyst in identifying and addressing the needs of growing health issues in the nation, in order to develop a workforce that works towards delivering real change in the health system.
The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) has established the Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It took place after a memorandum of understanding that was signed by the MoHFW and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The main goal of the Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) as visualized by the Indian Government when it declared 2012 as the Year of Intensification of Routine Immunization, is to accomplish the target of complete immunization of mothers and children in the target age in each state in India. It will be attained with the delivery of vaccines in each and every district and state in the country.
The Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) established by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is also responsible to work and coordinate with the other partners and stakeholders to spread more awareness among the general people. It also works towards streamlining the total vaccine manufacturing and delivery process. It offers active support to the Multi-Year Strategic Plan for Vaccination which was designed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It works with the government and non-governmental agencies as well as local and national civic bodies to make an extensive system and road map for efficient delivery of vaccines to the target demographic within the stipulated time frame in cost effective modes that don’t compromise on the quality and standard of the vaccines.
The Immunization Technical Support Unit (ITSU) made by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) has a team of experts from different walks who work at the state level to apply successful communications, awareness, advocacy, research and management initiatives. Even expert care is taken to make sure that the immunization program reaches even the most rural areas in every state in the country. It involves in a dynamic procedure of learning from same initiatives internationally to make ways to work in the local context. It also hosts need-based and custom-made training so that the goals of the program can meet met with no compromise. It has been successful at utilizing the vaccination program efficaciously.
The 17th edition of International Congress on Infectious Diseases was held from 2-5th March, 2016 by the International Society for Infectious Diseases in collaboration with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and other partner organizations. The event was supported by many reputed organizations like Government of Telangana, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India in Hyderabad.
Source : http://itsuorg.weebly.com/blog/17th-edition-of-international-congress-on-infectious-diseases-held
Directed by a multidisciplinary technical team of thematic experts and advisors, ITSU took shape under the guidance of Public Health Foundation of India along with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and partners. Known for supporting the largest health programs of its kind in the world, ITSU provides techno-managerial support for scaling up the Universal Immunization Programme(UIP) of the Government of India.
UIP was launched by government of India to provide full immunization against childhood diseases as a right to every child which was later supported by Mission Indradhanush to strengthen the program. In line with such ventures, PHFI has also set up centres of excellence to raise awareness and strength via research, training and educating in high priority area of public health in India. And working in line with these principles, Immunization Technical Support Unit focusses on national programs and aims to deliver real change, working closely with health system, the government and other key stakeholders receiving considerable support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
ITSU works towards enhancing strategies of the Routine Immunization Program in India and creating effective vaccine delivery system for vaccines. With its on-going efforts, Public Health Foundation of India unites some of world’s most renowned public health specialists, researchers and practitioners, a committed team to bring about a significant positive change in the Indian public health scenario. It strives to deliver services that promote health in multiple settings, uninterrupted.
The Public Health Foundation of India stresses on imparting knowledge and training on public health on various topics including health economics, epidemiology, biostatistics, health statistics and health economics, to name a few. The training is given through short term courses on various public health issues. The trainings can also be customized depending on the client’s requirement focusing on some major issues like:
Health Systems
The overall health system can be improved if performance across every sector is taken care of, including managerial, academic and technological. Various personnel are given training across all domains to achieve an efficient health system.
Chronic Conditions and Injuries
Trainings on topics such as bettering cancer control, disaster preparation strategies, tobacco control, heart diseases etc. are done to look after various chronic conditions.
Infectious Diseases
Public health issues relating to communicable diseases and trainings related to them are imparted through workshops, orientations and module developments.
Tobacco Control
Mission is to improve tobacco control efforts by engaging different sections of people including media and youth volunteers. Trainings on air quality monitoring and campaigning to demand smoke free public places are also included in it.
Setting the standards and developing the public health workforce, PHFI’s mission is to strengthen the knowledge application and advancing public health research and technology. It works on the following values:
Under the guidance of Memorandum of Understanding and Public Health Foundation of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare established an Immunization technical Support Unit along with collaboration of other partners.
ITSU 