Nationwide vitamin A-plus campaign to be conducted on 18 June

The national vitamin A-plus campaign will be conducted on 18 June with a target to administer over 2.20 crore children aged six to 59 months vitamin A-plus capsule to prevent childhood blindness and reduce child mortality in the country.

"Feeding vitamin =-A capsules prevents blindness in children, ensures normal growth, reduces all types of child mortality by 24 percent and significantly reduces mortality from measles, diarrhoea and pneumonia," Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said while addressing the inaugural function of the countrywide campaign in a city hotel, an official release said.

Under the campaign, children aged between six and 11 months will be given vitamin A-plus capsules with blue colour while children aged between 12 and 59 months will be administered vitamin A-plus with red colour on the day, according to the official release.

Maleque urged the people to feed their children vitamin A-plus capsules to ensure that not a single child is left out of getting the vitamin capsules.

"We can cut 24 percent child mortality from the country through successful implementation of the programme," the minister said.

Blindness problem has reduced significantly in the country due to feeding of vitamin A-plus capsules, he added.

After the independence of the country, over 4 percent of children suffered from blindness for vitamin A deficiency but now only 0.01 percent of children suffer from blindness problem, Maleque said.

A total of 40,000 health workers have been attached at 1.12 lakh centres to make the campaign a success.

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

Later, the health minister attended a discussion marking the World Malaria Day 2023.

To prevent malaria and stay safe from mosquito bites, Maleque said the government has given 1.5 million special mosquito nets for free to people. Deaths linked to Malaria in the country have come down to zero this year due to the massive campaign alongside providing medical facilities.