The National Vitamin A Plus Campaign began across Bangladesh on Sunday after a gap of 14 months, targeting 23,514,972 children aged between 6 months and under five years to help prevent childhood blindness, strengthen immunity, and reduce malnutrition.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain inaugurated the campaign at the Shaheed Abu Sayed International Convention Center of Bangladesh Medical University in the capital.
Speaking at the inauguration, the minister said the Vitamin A capsules being distributed this year are of high quality. He said the capsules were procured through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) after undergoing testing at an international laboratory.
He said: "Taking only Vitamin A capsules is not enough. Children should be fed colostrum immediately after birth and then breastfed regularly. There can be no greater vitamin than colostrum."
The minister also stressed the importance of ensuring a balanced diet for children, saying Vitamin A strengthens immunity and helps reduce the risk of infectious diseases, including measles.
Sakhawat Husain said there was an insufficient stock of Vitamin A capsules when he assumed office. He said the government later procured adequate supplies with UNICEF's assistance and currently has around 26 million red and blue Vitamin A capsules.
Responding to a question about the capsules' quality, he said: "Only after testing at an international laboratory were the high-quality capsules brought into the country."
He added that children who are unable to receive a capsule on the first day will be able to receive it on subsequent days to ensure no eligible child is left out.
From the morning, parents gathered at vaccination centers in the capital and other parts of the country with their children. Long queues were observed at several centers.
Asma Khanam, who brought her two children for the campaign, said: "I feel relieved after being able to give my children the Vitamin A capsules today (Sunday). I had been waiting for this campaign for a long time. As soon as I heard it had started today (Sunday), I came."
At the Nazneen School center in Farmgate, Humayra Jahan said her child could not receive a Vitamin A capsule because of illness and antibiotic use. She said health workers informed her that the child could receive the capsule after recovering. She added that the child also missed the measles-rubella vaccine for the same reason.
Health worker Milita Barikdar said around 400 children had received Vitamin A capsules at the center between the morning and 3:30pm. She added that parents continued bringing their children throughout the day.
Under this year's campaign, 2,838,794 children aged six to 11 months will receive blue Vitamin A capsules, while 20,676,178 children aged 12 to 59 months will receive red Vitamin A capsules.
Following the campaign, a four-day Child-to-Child Searching program will be conducted in 714 wards under 290 unions across 58 upazilas in 12 districts to ensure eligible children in remote areas are covered. Around 500 mobile camps will also distribute capsules at launch terminals, bus terminals, and other public locations.
According to the Ministry of Health, Vitamin A Plus capsules are administered twice a year. The second round of the campaign is scheduled for December. Children in remote areas will continue receiving capsules over the next four days, beginning Monday.
Bangladesh introduced its Vitamin A program in 1973 to prevent childhood blindness and malnutrition. It was incorporated into the National Immunization Program in 1995 and has been implemented as a separate initiative under the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign since 2003. The program is currently supervised by the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN).
Institute of Public Health Nutrition Director Mohammad Yunus Ali said nationwide coverage data would take around 3 days to compile because the campaign was conducted simultaneously across the country.
He said: "After 3 days, we will be able to provide the total figures together. However, according to the data we have received for the first day, around 98% to 99% of the target children have been covered under the Vitamin A capsule campaign."
