National Vitamin ‘A’ plus campaign was observed in the city and nine upazilas of the district as elsewhere in the country yesterday.
Under the programme, some 5,578 babies aged between 5 to 11 months were supposed to feed a blue-colour vitamin-A plus capsule while 53,678 babies aged between 12 to 59 months a red-colour capsule each in the metropolis.Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation, Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul formally inaugurated the campaign by administering a vitamin A capsule to a child on the city bhaban premises yesterday morning.Ward Councilors Abu Bakker Kinu and Nurun Nahar Begum, Chief Executive Officer Ajahar Ali and Chief Health Officer Dr AFM Anzuman Ara Begum were present on the occasion.Meanwhile, as part of the programme a target has been set to fed a blue- coloured vitamin A capsule to 25,011 babies aged between five to 11 months while 2,44,717 babies aged between 12 and 59 months would be fed a red- coloured vitamin A capsule everywhere in nine upazilas of the district.Dr Tanzila Alam, Professor of Ophthalmology Department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, said the vitamin ‘A’ plus supplement is helpful for reducing the severity and duration of illnesses associated with pneumonia and diarrhoea.Referring to the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline, she said each children should begin vitamin A supplement at the age of six months but unfortunately, children aged between 6- 9 months in the country do not get the supplement despite various interventions.”We have to ensure vitamin A supplementation for every children to ensure their normal growth and development of strong immunity system besides reducing child mortality rate,” she added.More than 22.66 lakh under five babies were administered with Vitamin A Plus Capsules in all unions, upazilas, pourasabhas and city corporation in eight districts under Rangpur division yesterday.According to sources in the office of Divisional Director (Health), more than 2.40 lakh babies aged between 6 -11 months and 20.26 lakh
between 12-59 months were given Vitamin A Plus one lakh unit Blue Capsules and two lakh unit Red Capsules respectively.The reports on the achievement of administering Vitamin A Plus Capsules were still reaching here from the district headquarters, Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr Nuruzzman Haque said Sundaynoon.”We have successfully administered Vitamin A Plus Capsules to 98 percent under five babies through bringing them under the Vitamin A Plus Campaign- 5 April- 2014 in the division on Saturday,” he said adding that no reports of any side effect was received.A total of over 23.12 lakh under five babies including 2.44 lakh babies aged between 6-11 months and 20.67 lakh between 12-59 months were to be administered with Vitamin A Plus one lakh unit Blue Capsules and two lakh unit Red Capsules respectively.Under the programme, over 3.43 lakh under five year age group children were to be immunized in Rangpur, 3.54 lakh in Dinajpur, 2.20 lakh in Thakurgaon, 1.62 lakh in Panchagarh, 2.23 lakh in Nilphamari, 3.49
lakh in Gaibandha, 3.35 lakh in Kurigram and 2.23 lakh children in Lalmonirhat districts.Earlier, Dr Nuruzzman Haque formally inaugurated the campaign by administering some under five babies with Vitamin A Plus Capsules at Sadar Hospital premises in the divisional city yesterday morning as
the chief guest.Civil Surgeon (CS) Dr Reazul Islam, Deputy CS Dr Mozammel Hossain, Divisional Surveillance Medical Officer of World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr Shameem Hossain, Sadar Upazila Health & Family Planning Officer Dr Shamsul Haque attended. The Civil Surgeons, Deputy Directors of Family Planning Department, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officers and officials inaugurated the campaign in different district and upazila headquarters in association with different GO-NGOs.The campaign was conducted under the auspices of Institute of Public Health Nutrition, National Nutrition Services and Directorate of Health under the Health & Family Welfare Ministry with the assistance of UNICEF and WHO. The campaign was aimed at reducing death risks of babies, preventing night blindness, bitot’s spots, corneal lesions and weight losses and poor growth to ensure healthy growth of the children through increasing their disease resistant capacities.A total of 47,215 Health Inspectors, Assistant Health Inspectors, Health Assistants, Family Welfare Assistants and volunteers administered the capsules and tablets at 13,514 outreach centres and other satellite sites in Rangpur division, the sources said. -BSS, Rangpur
