National Vitamin 'A' Plus campaign begins tomorrow

National Vitamin 'A' Plus campaign begins tomorrow

The National Vitamin 'A' Plus campaign will be held across the country on Sunday, June 28. Under the programme, the government aims to administer Vitamin 'A' capsules to approximately 2 crore, 40 lakh, 36 thousand and 22 children aged between 6 and 59 months. The campaign will run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

However, in 714 wards of 290 unions in 58 upazilas across 12 districts, a child-to-child searching campaign will be conducted over the following four days for remote areas.

Organised with the support of the Ministry of Health and UNICEF Bangladesh, the campaign will administer two types of capsules based on children's ages. Children aged 6 to 11 months will receive one blue capsule (100,000 IU), while children aged 12 to 59 months will receive one red capsule (200,000 IU) of high-potency Vitamin 'A'.

The capsules will be distributed through approximately 1.20 lakh permanent centres across the country, along with 500 temporary centres in crowded locations such as bus terminals and ferry ghats. Trained health workers and volunteers will be deployed for the task.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhith told journalists that the national Vitamin 'A' Plus campaign is crucial for children's healthy growth, boosting immunity and reducing malnutrition-related mortality.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain will inaugurate the campaign at the Abu Saeed Convention Centre in Shahbag, capital, on Sunday morning. Health State Minister Dr M A Muhith and Prime Minister's Health Adviser Dr S M Ziauddin Hyder will also be present.

At the district and upazila levels, local MPs will inaugurate the campaign alongside the local administration. Civil surgeons and upazila health and family planning officials will monitor the campaign at the local level, with central-level monitoring also in place.

The health minister has urged parents to bring all children aged between 6 months and 5 years to the nearest campaign centre between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on the campaign day to ensure they receive the Vitamin 'A' capsule.