National Vitamin ‘A’ plus campaign underway

The national vitamin A-plus campaign is being conducted today across the country with a target to administer over 2.22 crore children aged between 6 and 59 months vitamin A-plus capsule to prevent childhood blindness and reduce child mortality in the country.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Samanta Lal Sen inaugurated the national vitamin A-plus campaign at National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) on Saturday (June 1).

Earlier, on Thursday (May 30), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, revealed the information.

According to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) data, among the 2.22 crore, the number of children in the age group of 6-11 months is about 27 lakh, and the number of children in the age group of 12-59 months is about 1.95 crore.

“Feeding the vitamin A capsule prevents blindness in children, ensures normal growth, reduces all types of child mortality by 24 percent, and significantly reduces mortality from measles, diarrhea, and pneumonia,” Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Prof Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam said.

About 2.40 lakh volunteers and 40,000 health workers will feed the capsule in about 1.20 lakh centres across the country. Vitamin ‘A’ plus capsule is given to chubby children.

Mentionable, some 1,224 vaccination centres in coastal areas were affected by cyclone Remal. Vaccination in these centres will be conducted after the restoration works are complete.

Vitamin A deficiency is a serious threat to both mother and child’s health, health experts said, adding that the impact of vitamin A deficiency is not only limited to blindness but also increases death risk by causing various diseases.