Over 2.4cr children to receive Vitamin A capsules as nationwide campaign starts 28 June

The government will launch the first round of the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign 2026 across the country on 28 June, targeting more than 2.4 crore children aged between six and 59 months.

The campaign, which will run from 8am to 4pm, aims to provide Vitamin A capsules to 2,40,36,022 children through a nationwide network of distribution centres.

State Minister for Health Dr M A Muhit shared the information during a press briefing held this morning (25 June) at the health ministry ahead of the campaign's inauguration.

According to health authorities, 28,38,794 children aged 6 to 11 months will receive a blue Vitamin A capsule containing 100,000 IU, while 21,197,228 children aged 12 to 59 months will receive a red capsule containing 200,000 IU.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) stated Vitamin A helps prevent childhood blindness and malnutrition, boosts immunity, and reduces the risk of night blindness, xerophthalmia, prolonged diarrhoea, measles and other infections.

The campaign is held twice a year, six months apart, with the previous round conducted in March 2025.

For the campaign, authorities have set up 1,10,000 permanent centres and 500 mobile centres nationwide, including at launch terminals, ferry ghats, railway stations and bus terminals.

With Unicef support, the government procured four million blue and 22 million red Vitamin A capsules, distributing them to all districts and city corporations yesterday (24 June).

Health authorities urged parents to take children aged 6-11 months to designated centres for a blue capsule and those aged 12-59 months for a red capsule. They also stressed early breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and balanced complementary foods thereafter.

Special outreach activities will cover 714 wards in 190 unions across 58 upazilas in 12 hard-to-reach districts.

The districts include Barguna, Barishal, Patuakhali, Satkhira, Noakhali, Jamalpur, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Sunamganj and Sylhet.

A four-day child-to-child search programme will follow the campaign to identify children who missed the capsules.

The central inauguration will be held at the Shaheed Abu Sayed International Convention Centre in Dhaka, with Health Minister Sardar Md Shakhawat Hossain attending as chief guest.

State Minister for Health Dr MA Muhit and the prime minister's health adviser, Dr Ziauddin Haider, will be present as special guests.