Khulna Correspondent :
Speakers at a press conference here yesterday underscored the need for making the observance of the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign on November 14 a success.
Khulna Civil Surgeon Office and Khulna City Corporation (KCC) jointly organised the conference at School Health Clinic in the city to devise ways and means on how to make the programme a complete success on Monday.
Khulna Civil Surgeon Dr Md. Yasin Ali Sarder, Health Officer of KCC Dr Swapon Kumar Halder, Medical Officer of Khulna CS office Dr Tanmoy Kumar Ghosh, Senior Health Education Officer of Khulna CS office Abul Kalam Azad, Representative of UNICEF Iftia Jerin and Khulna Press Club President Mokbul Hossain Mintu spoke on the occasion.
In a power-point presentation, Dr Tanmoy Ghosh stated that the main goal of the campaign is to keep the prevalence of night blindness in children less than one percent through maintaining the high coverage of vitamin A supplementation among under-five children.
In Bangladesh, he said, Vitamin A supplementation saves lives of over 50,000 under-five children per year along with reducing the severity and duration of illness like measles and diarrhea.
Besides, it keeps more than 20 million under-five children free from Vitamin A deficiency and prevents nutritional blindness like night blindness, Bitot’s spots and corneal lesions.
The press conference was told that a total of 1,42,847 babies aged 12-59 months will be administered red colour Vitamin A capsule in Khulna district while 81,067 babies in Khulna City Corporation(KCC) area.
Narsingdi Correspondent adds: A press conference regarding National Vitamin A Plus Campaign was held at the conference room of the civil surgeon’s office on Monday.
The district civil surgeon office held the conference as the government is going to observe the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign on November 14 next.
On the day, all the children aged- between 6 to 11 month will be given one high-power Blue colored vitamin A capsule each and all other children aged between 12 to 59 month will be given one high power red colored vitamin A capsule each.
Civil surgeon Narsingdi Dr. Potul Roy chaired the programme and the orientation was addressed among others by Dr. Nasim Al Islam, Dr. Abu Kawser Somon, Dr. Sangapati Chokraborti, Dr. Md.Tanjirol Hoqe, Madical officer Civil surgeon office, Jahangir Hossain sinior health and education officer, Journalists Sarker Adom Ali, M.A. Awal, Abul fayze and Amzad hossain,
Civil surgeon Dr. Potul Roy Said, The health service will be provided to the children from Nine permanent and 1908 temporary health centers in the district, he said, over 280 health assistants are expected to administer the vitamin to over 347956 thousand children six upazila in narsingdi district, he added.
