Over 4.94 lakh babies of under-five to get vitamin A Plus capsules in Rangpur

CNI Desk: A total of over 4.94 lakh under-five age group babies will be immunised with vitamin A Plus capsules during the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign (first round)-2021 from June 5 to 19 next in the district.

Civil Surgeon Dr Hirombo Kumar Roy disclosed the information on Thursday afternoon at a press briefing held at his conference room on preparations taken to make the National Vitamin A Plus Campaign (first round) -2021 successful across the district.

The campaign will be conducted under the auspices of the Public Health and Nutrition Institute and National Nutrition Services under the Ministry of Health and Family Planning with UNICEF assistance.

 

Additional Superintendent of Police (DSB) Sayed Mohammad Farhad, Deputy Civil Surgeon D Kaniz Sabiha, District Nutrition Coordinator Langkeswar Barman and District Health Superintendent Arbindu Kumar Modak also spoke narrating the essence of continuation of Vitamin A supplementation to the under-five babies.

The Civil Surgeon said four lakh 94 thousand and 452 under five babies (6 to 59 months) will be immunised with Vitamin A capsules in all eight upazilas and Rangpur city of the district.

“One dose of one-lakh unit vitamin A Blue capsule would be administered to the babies (6 to 11 months) and one dose of two-lakh unit Vitamin ‘A’ Red capsule to the babies (12 to 59 months) during the campaign,” he said.

A total of 4,753 volunteers, health workers and family welfare assistants will work at 1,935 outreach centres in the district except Rangpur city from 8 am to 4 pm and steps have been taken at bus stands, hats, bazaars and other places during the campaign.

Besides, 706 health workers, volunteers and supervisors will provide vitamin A Plus capsules to babies at 265 outreach centres in all 33 wards of Rangpur City Corporation on every Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8 am to 4 pm.

“Immunization of the under-five babies with vitamin A Plus capsules strengthens the immune system and prevents mal-nutritional diseases like night blindness, bitot’s spots and corneal lesions to ensure their normal and healthier growth,” he said.

 

He called upon journalists to make the campaign successful by creating social awareness about the nutritional aspects of Vitamin A that increases disease resistant capacities of under-five babies to ensure their healthy growth.