Nationwide Vitamin A-Plus Campaign Starts

Across the country the national Vitamin A Plus campaign has commenced today. Aiming to administer vitamin A capsules to around 2.2 crore children aged between six and 59 months. The health minister, Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, inaugurated the campaign by feeding vitamin A capsules to children on Saturday morning at the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM).  

He urged the parents to come to the nearest health center and feed A capsules to their children. Dr. Samant Lal Sen said that vitamin 'A' capsules play an important role in preventing blindness.

The day-long campaign will continue from 8am to 4pm across the country.

Children aged between six and 11 months will be given blue-coloured Vitamin A capsules. Children aged between 12 and 59 months will be given red-coloured capsules.

Addressing a press conference at the health ministry on Thursday, Prof Dr ABM Khurshid Alam, director general of DGHS, said that a total of 2.20 crore children, including 27 lakh children aged 6 to 11 months and 1.95 crore children aged 12 to 59 months, will be given the Vitamin A Plus capsule during the campaign.

However, this time, the Vitamin A Plus campaign will run in the disaster-affected areas of the country for four days, as the local centres will conduct the campaign at their convenience to ensure that no child is left without receiving the capsule.

Vitamin A prevents blindness in children, increases immunity, and reduces complications and deaths from diarrhoea and measles. Vitamin A capsules are government-approved and meet quality standards, so they can be safely given to children.

Children should be brought to the centre on a full stomach to receive these vitamin A capsules. Furthermore, vitamin A capsules should not be given to children under the age of six months, children over the age of five, or sick children.