Vitamin A capsule administration begins across country

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Apr. 20: The nationwide two-day Vitamin A campaign for children has started from today. 

The campaign to administer Vitamin A supplement to children is taking place across the country on Wednesday and Thursday, said Dr. Bibek Kumar Lal, Director of the Family Welfare Division under the Ministry of Health and Population.

The children will also be administered deworming tablets along with Vitamin A supplements.

The Vitamin A supplements will be administered to children between six months to 59 months and deworming tablets to children aged one to five years.

The target is to reach out to around 2.7 million children for Vitamin A supplements and around 2.4 million children for deworming tablets. The government is conducting the national Vitamin A campaign since 2050 BS. and is held twice a year, in the months of Baisakh and Kartik of the Lunar calendar.

Meanwhile, according to our Nepalgunj correspondent, Vitamin A administration campaign has been postponed in Banke district due to doubts over the quality of Vitamin A capsules sent by the Lumbini Province government.

According to the Banke Health Office, after informing the Lumbini Provincial Ministry of Health about the expiry date of the Vitamin A capsules sent by the provincial government is only up to April 2023 and the color of the capsules has changed in some batches, the ministry has sent a letter and instructed to suspend the campaign.

The health office received information from the municipalities that some of the capsules were spoiled and had changed colour due to the looming expiry date.

Sunita Paudel, Head of Health Office Banke, said that the letter has been sent to postpone the campaign and added that the campaign would be conducted only after the arrival of Vitamin A capsules.