Bangladesh launches massive drive to fight childhood blindness and malnutrition

Bangladesh will launch a nationwide campaign on June 28 to prevent childhood blindness and combat malnutrition. The event will run from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm across the country. Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain will officially inaugurate it in Dhaka. The National Vitamin A Plus Campaign aims to reach 23,514,972 children. Infants aged 6 to 11 months will receive blue Vitamin A capsules, while those aged 12 to 59 months will get red ones. A total of 120,000 centres, including 500 mobile units, have been set up for the distribution.

The campaign will also begin simultaneously at district and upazila levels. Local lawmakers and administrative authorities will participate to support the effort. The minister has called on all stakeholders and parents to ensure its success.

Vitamin A is vital for child health. It prevents nutrition-related blindness, boosts immunity, reduces prolonged diarrhoea, and lowers child mortality. Bangladesh first introduced Vitamin A supplementation in 1973 under the National Night Blindness Prevention Programme. The initiative was later renamed in 2003 and brought under the National Nutrition Services in 2011.

Normally, such campaigns occur twice a year. However, this is the first nationwide effort since March 2021 due to a shortage of capsules. The campaign marks a significant step in addressing child health and nutrition. With widespread participation, it seeks to provide essential supplements to millions of children. The government has emphasised collaboration to make the programme effective.