Nearly 20 million Bangladeshi children have missed scheduled Vitamin A supplementation after repeated delays forced the government to postpone the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign for a second consecutive year, raising fresh concerns over child nutrition and immunity amid an ongoing measles outbreak.
The nationwide campaign, originally planned for June 10, has been deferred again after the government failed to receive the required Vitamin A capsules on time.
Health officials now tentatively aim to hold the campaign on June 27, though uncertainty remains over whether supplies will arrive as promised.
The latest delay extends a disruption that has already lasted more than 14 months, making it one of the longest interruptions in the country’s flagship child nutrition program in decades.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the last nationwide Vitamin A Plus Campaign was conducted in March 2025.
Subsequent rounds scheduled for September last year and March this year could not be held, leaving millions of children without doses that are routinely administered twice annually.
Public health experts warn that prolonged disruption of the program could weaken children’s immunity and increase vulnerability to measles, pneumonia, diarrhoea, malnutrition and vision-related complications, including night blindness.
Dr Mohammad Yunus Ali, director of the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN), said authorities had expected the capsules to arrive in early June.
Unicef has now indicated that the shipment may arrive by June 15, prompting officials to consider June 27 as a possible campaign date.
The disruption stems largely from procurement delays following the expiry of the health sector’s operational plan in June 2024, which slowed approval processes and procurement activities.
Attempts to procure capsules through open tender reportedly failed three times due to insufficient competition and bids exceeding market prices.
The government later opted for direct procurement through Unicef and approved funding for 7.1 million capsules, but delivery has yet to materialise.
Health experts say the consequences could be particularly serious as Bangladesh continues to battle a major measles outbreak.
Prof Dr Sanjoy Kumar De of Bangladesh Medical University said Vitamin A levels drop sharply during measles infection, increasing the risk of severe complications.
“Children who are already deficient in Vitamin A face greater risks of pneumonia, diarrhoea, malnutrition and even death when infected with measles,” he said.
Vaccine and public health specialist Dr Tajul Islam Al Bari said Vitamin A plays a crucial role in strengthening the body’s defence against bacterial and viral infections.
“It is not enough to focus only on vaccines. Vitamin A supplementation is one of the most effective child survival interventions and should not be interrupted for such a long period,” he said.
Public health expert Dr M Mushtaq Hossain warned that the impact of missed doses may not be immediately visible but could have long-term consequences for child health and nutrition.
Introduced in 1973 to combat childhood blindness and malnutrition, Bangladesh’s Vitamin A program is regarded as one of the country’s most successful public health interventions. Since 2003, it has been implemented nationwide as the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign, reaching millions of children every year.
Experts say the latest delays highlight broader weaknesses in health-sector procurement and planning, warning that unless the campaign resumes quickly, the health consequences could be felt long after the current measles crisis subsides.