The day-long National Vitamin 'A' Plus Campaign will be held in Chattogram on Tuesday( December 12) like all over the country. Over 96 thousand 790 children aged 6-11 months in 17 permanent, 15 mobile and 4 thousand 800 temporary centers in total of 4 thousand 832 centers of 600 wards of 15 upazila 200 union of the district from 8 am to 4 pm one blue color vitamin 'A' capsule to 96 thousand 790 children aged 6-11 months. (1 lakh IU) and 730 thousand 835 children aged 12-59 months will be given one red coloured vitamin 'A' capsule (2 lakh IU) each. A total of 8 lakh 27 thousand 625 children in 15 upazilas of Chattogram have been set a target of feeding vitamin 'A' capsules in one day.
Chattogram District Civil Surgeon Dr. Mohammad Elias Chowdhury gave this information in a press conference organised in the conference room of Chattogram District Civil Surgeon Office on Sunday afternoon.
Civil Surgeon Dr. Mohammad Elias Chowdhury said that vitamin 'A' capsules reduce all types of mortality including child malnutrition, prevention of blindness, normal growth of the body, reduction of mortality due to measles and diarrhoea. This capsule should be taken on an empty stomach. However, no sick child should be given vitamin 'A' capsules. The use of edible oil rich in vitamin 'A' in family cooking is very beneficial for children. For the nutrition of mother and child, pregnant and post-partum mothers should eat more animal and vegetable foods rich in vitamin A than usual. As soon as the baby is born, the mother should breastfeed and nothing but breast milk can be given for 6 months. When the child is 6 months old, he should be fed with mother's milk for up to two years along with plenty of home-made nutritious food. Everyone must ensure that no child is left out of vitamin 'A' capsules. This program will be successful with the sincere cooperation of all. Apart from this, one has to be careful against those who create rumours about vitamin 'A' plus campaign.
The meeting was conducted by Sujan Baruar, District Health Supervisor of Civil Surgeon Office. MODC Dr. Mohammad Nurul Haider presented the main article through multimedia in the meeting. Among others, Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. Md. Wazed Chowdhury Abhi, MOCS of Civil Surgeon Office Dr. Md. Naushad Khan spoke in the meeting.
BP Desk adds: A total of 1,86,882 children aged under-five will be fed Vitamin A Plus capsule in seven upazilas of Manikganj on the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign 2023 on December 12. Civil Surgeon Dr. Moazzem Ali Khan Chowdhury told BSS today that the programme will be conducted in 65 unions and one municipality simultaneously.
The campaign will be carried out with help of the Public Health and Nutrition Institute and National Nutrition Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Planning with UNICEF's assistance. The civil surgeon said, "We have completed all necessary preparations to make the national vitamin "A" plus campaign a success".
He said 3222 health workers and volunteers will provide Vitamin A Plus capsules at 1,611 centres in seven upazilas and one municipality from 8 am to 5 pm on Tuesday next. The civil surgeon especially called upon the parents to show up their kids at the centres with a full stomach to feed them Vitamin A capsules as immunization with an empty stomach might cause nausea.
