The National Vitamin A Plus Campaign began simultaneously across Bangladesh on Sunday, aiming to provide life-saving Vitamin A capsules to more than 2,40,36,022 children under the age of five.
The campaign started at 8am and will continue until 4pm at designated centres nationwide.
Under the programme, the government has set a target of administering Vitamin A capsules to around 2,40,36,022 children aged between six months and 59 months.
To reach children in hard-to-access areas, a four-day child-to-child search campaign will be conducted after Sunday's drive in 714 wards across 290 unions in 58 upazilas of 12 districts.
Organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with Unicef Bangladesh, the campaign is distributing two types of Vitamin A capsules according to age. Children aged six to 11 months are receiving one blue capsule, while those aged 12 to 59 months are being given one high-potency red capsule.
The capsules are being distributed through around 120,000 permanent centres and 500 temporary centres set up at busy locations such as bus terminals and ferry ghats. Trained health workers and volunteers have been deployed for the campaign.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain inaugurated the first round of the nationwide campaign at 10am at the Shaheed Abu Sayed International Convention Centre in Shahbagh.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit said the campaign is crucial for ensuring healthy growth, strengthening children's immunity and reducing deaths linked to malnutrition.
Civil Surgeons and Upazila Health and Family Planning Officers have been tasked with monitoring the campaign at district and upazila levels, while the ministry has instructed relevant officials to oversee field-level implementation.
Vitamin A helps protect children from malnutrition-related blindness, boosts immunity, reduces the severity of prolonged diarrhoea and lowers the risk of child mortality.
Bangladesh has been administering Vitamin A capsules to children since 1973 as part of its efforts to eliminate childhood blindness and malnutrition.