The government will launch a countrywide Vitamin A plus campaign on Monday with the target to provide Vitamin A plus capsules to 2.2 crore children, Health Minister Zahid Maleque said.
“Under the programme, 25 lakh children aged between 6 to 11 months will be fed a blue-coloured A plus capsule each, while 1.95 crore children aged between six to 59 months will be fed a red-coloured capsule each,” he said while speaking to reporters at the Ministry on Sunday.
Taking the capsule can prevent blindness, reduce child mortality up to 24 per cent, and also reduce the risk of death from diarrhoea and pneumonia, the minister added.
A total of 2.40 lakh volunteers will work at 1.20 lakh centres, while 40,000 health workers will take part in the campaign.
The capsules will be available at mobile camps set up by the government health care providers, Maleque said, urging parents not to bring children under six months and older than 5 years of age to receive the dose.
