The national Vitamin ‘A’ plus campaign will be observed across Bangladesh tomorrow, aiming to feed Vitamin A plus capsules to all children between six and fifty-nine months of age.
According to a BSS report, night blindness has come down to 0.04% of the child population and the government’s target is to bring down the rate to 0%.
Health experts said feeding Vitamin-A capsules not only keeps children safe from night-blindness, but also strengthens their immune system, keeping their eyesight perfect, bringing down the child mortality rate, and ensuring normal growth.
Orientation course for juornos in Pabna
To make the June 22 nationwide Vitamin A+ campaign successful, the civil surgeon office in Pabna organised a daylong orientation course for the journalists working in the districts at the seminar room of the office.
The workshop was inaugurated and conducted by district civil surgeon Dr Md Mehedi Iqbal.
At the workshop, Iqbal said in Pabna, around four lakh children aged between six and fifty-nine months would be fed Vitamin A plus capsules, from 8am to 4pm on Saturday next.
“As the supply of red capsules is limited, in some districts two blue capsules would be fed instead of a red one,” he said, adding we want the assistance of media persons in this regard to inform the guardians of children.
3,362 volunteers in Khulna at 1691 centres
A number of 3,362 volunteers will work at 1691 centres in Khulna to make the Vitamin A Plus campaign successful.
Speakers came up with the information at a journalist orientation workshop held at the city’s School Health Clinic on Wednesday. The workshop was jointly organised by the Khulna Civil Surgeon's Office and Khulna City Corporation.
Khulna Civil Surgeon Dr SM Abdur Razzak was in the chair, while Deputy Civil Surgeon Atiar Rahman, KCC Health Officer Swapon Halder, Khulna PID Deputy Director Javed Iqbal, President and General Secretary of Khulna Press Club, Habibur Rahman and S M Saheb Ali respectively addressed the conference, among others.
Dr Swapon Halder highlighted the main goals of the campaign, saying all children under five years must take Vitamin A to prevent night blindness in children.
1,57,385 babies 12-59 months of age, will be administered red Vitamin A capsules in Khulna district, and 81,067 babies will be administered the same Vitamin A capsules in Khulna city.
1.26 lakh children to be fed in Rangpur
Rangpur City Corporation has completed all preparations to feed Vitamin A Plus capsules to 1.26 lakh children between six and 59 months of age.
Mayor of Rangpur, Mostafizar Rahman Mostafa, disclosed the information at a press conference in his conference room to make the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign successful in the city in the morning.
The campaign will be conducted under the auspices of the Public Health and Nutrition Institute and National Nutrition Services, under the Ministry of Health and Family Planning, with UNICEF assistance.
Mayor Mostafa said 634 volunteers under 77 supervisors and eight satellite monitoring teams will provide Vitamin A Plus Capsules at 295 outreach centres in all 33 wards of the city from 8 am to 4 pm on the day.
6,500 officials, volunteers to work in Habiganj
A number of 6,500 officials and volunteers in Habiganj will feed 3.54 lakh children with Vitamin A+ capsule on June 22.
District civil surgeon Dr Suchinta Chowdhury disclosed the information at a press conference at his office on Thursday.
He said we have targeted to feed 42,875 children aged between six and 11 months and 3,11,660 children aged between 12 to 59 months with Vitamin A Plus capsules.
At the briefing, Habiganj Press Club president Harun-ur Rashid advised the civil surgeon to feed the vitamin capsule a crowdy places like bus stands and railway stations also.
The press conference was attended by journalists of the district working with different electronic and print media.
3,650 health workers, volunteers in Munshiganj
A workshop was held on Thursday morning at the civil surgeon's office in Munshiganj town to make the vitamin campaign programme a complete success.
Civil Surgeon Sheikh Fazle Rabbi said at the function that 1,90, 554 babies under 6-11 months will be provided Vitamin A Plus capsules in the district.
A total of 382 health workers and 3,270 volunteers will work in six upazilas of the district.
In Pabna, Civil Surgeon Dr Mehedi Hasan said at a workshop in the district town that 3,86, 566 babies will be given Vitamin A Plus capsules in the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign.
At least 4,628 health workers will work at 1,819 centres of the district, he added.
Our correspondent Hedait Hossain Molla, Khulna, Liakat Ali Badal, Rangpur, Tanjil Hasan, Munshiganj, and Emroze Khandakar, Pabna contributed to the story.
Workshop held in Jhalokathi
In order to make the Vitamin A Plus campaign successful, the district civil surgeon office organised a workshop for journalists of different print and electronic media at the office on Thursday.
The workshop was conducted by district civil surgeon Dr Shyamol Krishna Hawlader.
He said a number of 94,034 children will be fed the Vitamin A Plus capsule on June 22 at 822 centres in the district.
