Govt to launch Vitamin A campaign for 23.5M children

Bangladesh will launch its nationwide National Vitamin A Plus Campaign on 28 June, marking the programme's return after a 14-month hiatus. More than 23.5 million children aged between six and 59 months are expected to receive Vitamin A capsules in a single-day drive aimed at preventing childhood blindness, strengthening immunity, and reducing child mortality.

The campaign will run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. across the country through approximately 120,000 fixed centres and 500 mobile outreach units, according to the National Nutrition Services. The mobile centres have been strategically established at launch terminals, ferry ghats, railway stations, and bus terminals to maximise coverage. Children aged six to 11 months will receive blue Vitamin A capsules, while those aged 12 to 59 months will be administered red capsules, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to more than 23.5 million.

To ensure that children in remote and hard-to-reach areas are not overlooked, health authorities will conduct an additional four-day child-to-child search campaign in 714 wards across 290 unions in 58 upazilas spanning 12 districts. The campaign will be officially inaugurated by Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain at the Abu Sayeed Convention Centre in Dhaka. Parents and guardians have been urged to take all eligible children to their nearest vaccination centre within the scheduled timeframe.

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Public health experts emphasise that Vitamin A supplementation plays a pivotal role in preventing childhood blindness, enhancing the immune system, reducing the severity of diarrhoeal diseases, and lowering child mortality. Although the campaign is designed to be conducted twice annually, it has remained suspended since March last year due to a shortage of Vitamin A capsules. Health officials hope the resumption of the programme will bridge the coverage gap and reinforce Bangladesh's ongoing efforts to improve child nutrition and public health outcomes.