DIMAPUR: A one-day workshop on Vaccine Preventable Disease (VPD) Surveillance and National Immunization Day (NID) 2026 was held at the Conference Hall of district hospital, Mon, on June 11 to strengthen disease surveillance and prepare for the upcoming NID scheduled on June 28.
Welcoming the participants, DPO (UIP & RCH) Dr. Wungyong Konyak underscored the importance of VPD surveillance in monitoring immunization programmes and ensuring timely detection and control of diseases. Expressing concern over low immunization coverage in the district, he called for greater efforts to improve vaccination uptake and urged health workers to create awareness about the upcoming immunization drive.
Surveillance Medical Officer (SMO), Mokokchung, Dr. M.A.H. Azhar, conducted a session on VPD surveillance and polio eradication efforts. He highlighted India’s continued polio-free status since 2011, attributing it to high immunization coverage and robust Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance. He also stressed the importance of environmental surveillance, stool sample collection and maintaining high coverage of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV).
The workshop also covered NID preparations, including microplanning, identification of high-risk populations, social mobilization, logistics management and monitoring. Medical officers, nurses, programme managers and UIP personnel from across the district attended the programme.
