Vitamin A Plus campaign today
The national Vitamin ‘A’ plus campaign will be observed across the country today where children, aged between six months to 59 months, will be fed Vitamin A capsules under the nationwide campaign on the day.
Health workers and volunteers will feed the vitamin-A Plus capsules from 1.20 lakh permanent and 20 thousand mobile centres across the country which will remain open from 8 am to 4 pm, BSS reports.
Mobile centres will be set up at bus stops, airports and launch terminals and other transport points to administer the children vitamin-A plus capsules.
At least two trained volunteers would work at each centre.
The government wants to prevent childhood blindness by administering vitamin-A plus capsule. Blindness problem has been reduced significantly in the country through launching vitamin A plus campaign. Less than one percent children now suffer from blindness for vitamin A deficiency.
Among the total children, around 25 lakh aged between six to 11 months will be fed one blue colour Vitamin-A capsule each, while around 1.94 crore babies aged between 12 to 59 months would be fed red color capsules.
The parents are requested to bring their children with full stomach to be fed the Vitamin-A capsule. Children should not be fed the capsule forcefully or while they are crying. Children aged below six months or more than five years or with any kind of sickness should not be fed the capsules.
The rate of children’s night-blindness in the country has come down below one per cent following the distribution of Vitamin A-plus capsules regularly.
Feeding of Vitamin-A capsule not only keep the children safe from night-blindness, it also increases their immune system, keep their eyesight perfect, bring down the child mortality rate and ensure their natural growth among other benefits.
The government feeding vitamin A plus capsule two times a year as it deposits up to six months in children’s body. Alongside having vitamin A plus capsule, guardians should feed their children natural foods including vegetable and fish to avoid vitamin A deficiency.
