One Vaccine at a time:
One Kid at a time!
About Mother & Infant Foundation (formerly Mission India Foundation)
Mother & Infant Foundation (MIF) is a US-based registered not-for-profit organization. It is recognized by the IRS (Internal Revenue Services) as a tax-exempt organization under section 501 (c)(3). Mother & Infant Foundation is a non-religious organization working in the field of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) in India. Our focus is on childhood vaccinations. Under this preventive health strategy, we provide vaccines (shots) to children and teenagers, mainly in rural areas. Mother & Infant Foundation provides the vaccines –mainly the newer ones - that are not provided by the local health authorities.
MIF started its work in India on World Health Day (April 7) in 2010. We have been “Reaching the Unreached” steadily since then. Our model of “Vaccine Center” (VC) has benefitted thousands of children and teenagers by providing them valuable shots.
Currently we are operating in Narnaul, Haryana, India.
The Problem
Disparities exist in Childhood Immunization (Vaccination) coverage in developing countries. In India, many of the common vaccines, for example, DPT vaccine, Polio vaccine, are provided under Universal Immunization Program (UIP), but there are several others, for example, Chickenpox [Varicella] and Hepatitis B vaccines, that are not covered under UIP.
In the Western world, kids are routinely vaccinated against 13 or more vaccine-preventable diseases, whereas countries like India have not been able to bring the fruits of newer vaccines to kids. India’s UIP has regular vaccines available for 6 diseases.
India is home to one-third of the world’s unimmunized children.
Fewer than 44 percent of India’s children receive the full schedule of 6 immunizations that Government recommends.
Our Mission
• To provide access to the vaccines that kids and teenagers need to prevent diseases, by making them available free of cost or at highly subsidized rates because we believe that vaccination is a childhood right for each and every kid!
• To provide health education to the community about the importance of these vaccines.
Our Approach
We provide vaccines or shots to kids at our Vaccine Center (VC). We perform robust community outreach programs by visiting neighborhoods and villages to emphasize about the importance of vaccines. Families bring their kids to our Vaccine Center to receive shots. Currently our projects are running in Narnaul, Haryana, India.
FAQs
Mother & Infant Foundation (formerly Mission India Foundation) is a US-based not-for-profit organization established to provide maternal and child health care to the poor and marginalized rural population in India.
Mother & Infant Foundation is a non-religious and secular not for profit (NGO) working in the field of maternal & child health care in India. Our emphasis is to provide comprehensive immunizations (vaccines) to children.
Vaccines are a modern age miracle. They prevent diseases. Vaccines not only save lives, they also give an opportunity to kids to be disease-free. In our opinion, immunization makes an excellent health strategy.
That is a good question. We quote an abstract of an article by Laxminarayan and Ganguly published in the June 2011 issue of Health Affairs:
"Although India is a leading producer and exporter of vaccines, the country is home to one-third of the world’s unimmunized children. Fewer than 44 percent of India’s young children receive the full schedule of immunizations. India’s vaccine deficit has several causes: little investment by the government; a focus on polio eradication at the expense of other immunizations; and low demand as a consequence of a poorly educated population and the presence of anti-vaccine advocates. India needs to move quickly to increase spending on, and otherwise strengthen national immunization programs."
At Mother & Infant Foundation, we are striving to fill in the gap.
Government of India provides vaccines against just 6 vaccine-preventable diseases: Tuberculosis (BCG vaccine), Polio (OPV drops), Measles (Measles Vaccine) and Diphtheria, pertussis, Tetanus (DPT vaccine).
We do not provide these vaccines to kids.
Our focus is on what W.H.O calls NUVI, that is, Newer and Underutilized Vaccines. The examples include vaccines against diseases like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, Chickenpox , Hemophilus influenzae, Pneumococcal disease, Mumps, Rubella, Rotavirus ,etc. Mother & Infant Foundation provides several of these vaccines to children and teenagers.
Our Vaccine Center makes efforts to provide as many kinds of vaccines as possible. MMR vaccine (Measles Mumps and Rubella), Hepatitis B and Typhoid vaccine are currently being provided through the Vaccine Center.
We strive to expand the repertoires of our vaccines.
Wherever we work, we set up a Vaccine Center (VC) which is the central part of our model. VC is an office space within a medical facility (hospital or clinic) provided to us by our collaborating doctor in the town. VC is fully equipped with cold chain to store vaccines under recommended temperature range. Mother & Infant Foundation’s trained staff gives the vaccines to kids at Vaccine Center.
Community Outreach: Merely giving shots to kids is not enough. We lay equal emphasis on educating the public about importance of vaccines. Thus, undertaking field visits is an integral part of our operations. Our staff conducts elaborate community outreach program to reach the public at their doorsteps. The team uses fliers and other audio-visual resources to spread the health education.
Mother & Infant Foundation’s Vaccine Center (VC) operates 6 days a week. It is closed on Sunday.
We buy the vaccines from the vaccine stockists in India. Mother & Infant Foundation uses vaccines manufactured by leading companies in India. We also receive vaccines as donations from vaccine manufacturers.
Currently we are operational in Narnaul region of Haryana. This region bordering Haryana and Rajasthan has historically been a neglected region as far as economic development is concerned. Mother & Infant Foundation has expansion plans so that we can reach more and more kids in various parts of India.
Since the inception of our project in 2010, we have provided thousands of vaccine doses to the deserving kids in rural areas.
The vaccine counter located on the home page of this website provides the latest data. The counter is updated on a daily basis. Please refer to that for the no of free vaccines administered.
To open Vaccine Centers in different states of India. We plan to open 10 VCs by 2015.
In the Western countries, there is presence of a strong anti-vaccine lobby. From medical point of view, this is unfortunate, though. Vaccines are safe by and large and their usage has helped the mankind fight successfully against several diseases. If we do not see any small-pox on the globe today, the largest credit goes to vaccines. Hopefully, Measles and Polio would be diseases of the yore, if we all continue our fight against them with the help of vaccines. Coming back to the question, in developing world, there is no strong anti-vaccine lobby. Low vaccination rates are due to –among other reasons- lack of knowledge about vaccines and lack of accessibility.
Please email us at info@mifusa.org
For volunteering, please email us at volunteers@mifusa.org
Please refer “Contact Us” tab for further information.
Team Leadership
Munish Raizada MD, President
Munish Kumar is a Board-certified Neonatologist with a large medical group in Chicago. He is passionate about promoting a robust rural health care delivery system in India and public health policies.
Email: president@mifusa.org
Kalpesh Nandu, Treasurer
Kalpesh has always been very passionate about giving back to his roots and has worked with various charities in the past. He works for a technology firm in the Chicagoland area and hopes to use his connections to mobilize fund raising and volunteering efforts for MIF. He strongly believes in the MIF’s cause to provide kids in India access to the vaccines in order to prevent diseases. He handles the finances for MIF.
Email: Kalpesh.Nandu@mifusa.org
Board of Directors
Hirak Vora
Hirak is a Chicago based business intelligence consultant and very passionate about improving healthcare system and filling the void that currently exists in the field of immunization for the children of India.
Email: hirak.vora@mifusa.org
Stephen A. Morales
Stephen is a marketing and communications professional with more than 15 years executive leadership and project management experience in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. As the Regional marketing director for of a leading pharmaceutical company, Stephen has led initiatives to expand contraceptive and primary care availability in India and other emerging markets. He has been actively involved in philanthropy through organizations like the Boy Scouts of America. As part of MIF, Stephen looks forward to extending his skills to help the children of India live happy and healthy lives.
Email: stephen.morales@mifusa.org
Team in India
Santanu Sarma, Program Coordinator
Santanu has over 3 years experience in Social Services Department in United Kingdom and 2 years of experience in non-profit in India, a background in child welfare and extensive cross-cultural experience. Santanu has done his Post Graduation in Child Welfare and Applied Childhood Studies from Swansea University, UK. His specialities includes Child Welfare and NGO Management.
Email: Santanu.Sarma@mifusa.org Cell: +91-86070-73500
Vijay Laxmi, ANM
Vijay Laxmi is a certified ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife). She administers the vaccinations.
Sushma Kumari, ANM
Sushma Kumari is a certified ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife). She administers the vaccinations.
Our Mission
Our Approach
FAQs
Team
Board of Directors
Donate
You can sponsor a vaccine for an underprivileged kid in India for as little as $5.
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Volunteer
Mother & Infant Foundation has voluntary opportunities available for event planning and fund raising in USA. read more...