The nationwide Vitamin A Plus campaign is being conducted today, providing Vitamin A Plus capsules to children aged six months to five years. However, children who are unwell should not be given the supplement. The campaign is set to be inaugurated at noon by Noorjahan Begum, the advisor to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

A press release from the ministry, issued on Thursday, March 13, outlined the details of the initiative. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), children aged 6-11 months will receive blue capsules, while those aged 12-59 months will be given red capsules. The biannual campaign has successfully ensured that 98% of children receive Vitamin A supplementation, significantly reducing vitamin A deficiency-related blindness to below 1% and contributing to a decline in child mortality.

Under the interim government’s leadership, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is committed to eradicating malnutrition and ensuring the well-being of all children. As part of this effort, approximately 22.6 million children aged 6-59 months will receive Vitamin A capsules through 120,000 permanent EPI (Expanded Program on Immunization) centers across the country on March 15.

The press release also highlighted the government’s continuous efforts to make healthcare services more accessible, leading to a significant reduction in malnutrition, infant mortality, and maternal mortality rates. Bangladesh has also been actively participating in global nutrition forums as a key member.

After independence, the prevalence of night blindness due to malnutrition was recorded at 4.1% among children. In 1974, the government launched a preventive program, introducing Vitamin A supplementation. Continued administration of Vitamin A capsules has nearly eradicated night blindness among children in Bangladesh.

To ensure effective administration, children must be brought to health centers on a full stomach. Trained health workers or volunteers will cut open the capsule and ensure the entire liquid content is consumed. Capsules should not be given to crying children or forcefully administered.

For real-time monitoring and evaluation, control rooms will be operational at every upazila, district, and center throughout the campaign day.