Q. Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which has recently completed 50 years, was launched by which organization?
Answer:
WHO
Notes: The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) marks its 50th anniversary, initiated by WHO in 1974. Renamed UIP in India in 1985, it now offers vaccines for 13 universally recommended diseases and 17 context-specific ones. Global DPT coverage surged from 5% in the '70s to 84% in 2022. Smallpox eradicated; polio remains in Afghanistan & Pakistan. In India, coverage grows yearly, reaching 76% in 2019-21. Immunization boasts significant returns, predominantly delivered through government facilities.