2cr children fed vitamin-A Plus capsules

A campaign was conducted yesterday across the country to feed vitamin-A Plus capsules to over 2.10 crore children aged between six and 59 months to prevent childhood blindness and reduce child mortality.

Under the campaign, children aged between six and 11 months were given blue-coloured capsules, and red-coloured capsules were administered to children aged between 12 and 59 months.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque inaugurated the campaign at Dhaka Shishu Hospital.

Director General (DG) of the Directorate General of Health Service Prof Abul Kalam Azad, DG of the Directorate of Family Planning Mohammad Wahid Hossain and physicians addressed the function with Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital Prof Dr Manjur Hossain in the chair.

Health workers and volunteers fed the capsules from 1.20 lakh permanent and 20 thousand mobile centres across the country. When addressing the programme, Zahid said, "… blindness problem was significantly reduced in the country through launching vitamin A plus campaigns…" Prof Azad said less than one percent of children now suffered from blindness problems while the percentage of blindness for vitamin-A deficiency was 3.74 in 1974. 

"We are feeding vitamin-A plus capsules two times.  Besides, guardians should feed their children natural food including vegetables and fish to avoid vitamin-A deficiency," Azad mentioned.