The country observed Vitamin A + campaign on Saturday to prevent diseases that occur due to vitamin deficiencies, mainly night blindness.
“Night blindness has gone down below one percent with increase rate of feeding Vitamin A capsule rate up to 98 percent. So please don’t pay heed to rumours… Pay visit to your nearby centres with your kids and feed them Vitamin A capsules in a festive mood”, said the State Minister for health Zahid Malik while inaugurating the vaccination programme at Kurmitola General Hospital in the city on Saturday morning.
During the campaign, children between 6-11 months were given the blue-coloured Vitamin A capsule, while children between 12-59 months were provided red-coloured capsule.
More than two crore children were fed vitamin A capsule at 120,000 permanent centres across the country. Three volunteers worked at each centre to make the campaign successful.
Besides the permanent health centers, additional 20,000 mobile centres remained open from 8am to 4pm at bus stands, railway stations, launch terminals, airports, ferry terminals and bridge toll centres to ensure vitamin doses to all children.
On the occasion, a health message on homemade balanced diets was also disseminated among the people to encourage them to feed their children.
The State Minister said, due to regular campaign the rate of night blindness is now below one per cent in the country. “Vitamin-A capsule protects the children not only from blindness but it also decreases the rate of child mortality. Besides, it decreases the range and complexity of Diarrhoea,” he added.
Zahid Malik said “We want to ensure 100 percent coverage”.
