DHAKA, Feb 9, 2019 (BSS) – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque
today inaugurated the countrywide ‘Vitamin A Plus’ campaign by feeding
several kids Vitamin A capsules and deworming tablets at Shishu Hospital in
city’s Agargaon area.
While launching the campaign, the minister urged the parents not to pay
attention to any rumours and feed their children Vitamin A capsules and
deworming tablets to prevent childhood blindness, reduce child mortality and
strengthen immune system.
“We’ll be able to build a beautiful Bangladesh for the next generation if
we can make the vaccination programme a success,” he said.
The campaign is being observed across the country, aiming to feed Vitamin A
plus capsules to all children aged between six months to five years.
“The vitamin A capsules for children are completely free,” said the health
minister, urging everyone to go to the vaccination points with their children
as these vaccines will prevent children from getting night blindness.
Around 2.25 crore children, aged between six months to five years, will be
fed Vitamin A capsules under the nationwide campaign.
The total number of children, around 25 lakh aged between six to 11 months
will be fed one blue colour Vitamin-A capsule each, while around 1.95 crore
babies aged between 12 to 59 months would be fed red colour capsules.
They will be fed the Vitamin A capsule at some 1, 20,000 permanent and 20
thousand mobile health centres across the country.
Mobile health centres have been set up at bus stands, railway stations,
launch terminals, airports, ferry terminals, bridge toll centres and kheya
ghats and these will remain open from 8am to 4pm to make sure that all
children are fed the capsules.
The parents are requested to bring their children with full stomach to be
fed the Vitamin-A capsule. Children should not be fed the capsule forcefully
or while they are crying. Children aged below six months or more than five
years or with any kind of sickness should not be fed the capsule.
The rate of children’s night-blindness in the country has come down below
one per cent following the distribution of Vitamin A-plus capsules regularly.
Feeding of Vitamin-A capsule not only keep the children safe from night-
blindness, it also increases their immune system, keep their eyesight
perfect, bring down the child mortality rate and ensure their natural growth,
among other benefits.