About 2.1 million children to get vitamin A on Kartik 17-18

The National Vitamin A Program for children will this time be held nationwide on Kartik 17 and 18. According to the Nutrition Section of the Department of Health Services, about 2.1 million children across the country will be given vitamin A capsules over the two days.

Preparations are also underway to administer deworming medicine to about 2 million children during the same period. The government had regularly held the first phase of this program for fiscal year 2083/84 on Kartik 2 and 3.

This year, however, the program was postponed and a new date set after those days fell during the Dashain holidays. According to Nutrition Section chief Lilabikram Thapa, vitamin A capsules will be given to children aged 6 to 59 months, while deworming medicine will go to children aged one to five years.

Thapa said the required capsules have already been sent to health supply centers in all provinces. He said about 52,000 female community health volunteers will be mobilized for the program, along with around 10,000 health workers who will also be deployed for distribution.

The government has been administering vitamin A capsules regularly since 2050 BS, while distribution of deworming medicine began in 2056 BS.