Labonnya Liza ; Dhaka — Following a 14-month hiatus, the National Vitamin ‘A’ Plus Campaign was successfully rolled out across Bangladesh yesterday.
Aimed at eradicating childhood malnutrition and preventing avoidable blindness, the day-long initiative operated from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Sunday, administering life-saving Vitamin ‘A’ capsules to more than 2.35 crore (23.5 million) children aged between 6 and 59 months.
The Health Services Division announced that mop-up operations are underway today (Monday) at the upazila level to ensure that any child who missed out on Sunday receives the capsule.
Furthermore, in geographically isolated and hard-to-reach terrains, the health campaign will actively continue for the next four days to ensure total coverage.
High-Quality Supplements Secured with Global Standards
Inaugurating the central campaign at the Shaheed Abu Sayed Convention Hall of Bangladesh Medical University in the capital, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain reassured citizens regarding the safety and supreme quality of this phase’s medical supplies.
“The quality of this year’s Vitamin ‘A’ capsules is exceptionally high. After rigorous verification of standards in international laboratories, these premium quality capsules were brought into the country via UNICEF,” the Health Minister stated during his exchange with journalists.
Reflecting on the logistics of the health sector, the Minister added, “Sufficient stockpiles of routine vaccines alongside Vitamin ‘A’ capsules were not properly left behind by the previous administration.
We later consolidated our resources and collected the necessary requirements through immediate coordination with UNICEF.”
Targets, Demographics, and Network Infrastructure
The government currently holds a buffer stock of 2.6 crore (26 million) capsules, containing both the blue capsules (allocated for infants aged 6–11 months) and high-potency red capsules (allocated for children aged 12–59 months).
The overall strategic target for this specific campaign cycle is slated to cover approximately 2.55 crore (25.5 million) children.
To facilitate seamless distribution across urban and rural sectors, a massive infrastructure was deployed by the Health Services Division:
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Permanent Outposts: Over 1,20,000 established healthcare centers served families nationwide.
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Transit Coverage: A network of 500 mobile vaccination centers was set up at strategic crowded thoroughfares, including railway terminals, launch pads, ferry ghats, and bus stations to capture floating populations.
The resumption of the Vitamin ‘A’ Plus Campaign marks a crucial stride toward reinforcing the health security of Bangladesh’s future generation.
By synchronizing international procurement protocols with community-level grassroot delivery systems, the health ministry hopes to completely eliminate public health risks associated with childhood blindness and metabolic deficiencies.