Children who missed out yesterday are being given Vitamin A and deworming medicine today.

Nepal Health News, Kathmandu: Children who missed out yesterday are being given Vitamin A and deworming medicine today. Under the government’s National Vitamin A Program, around 2.2 million children across the country are being given Vitamin A on Saturday and Sunday.

As part of the campaign, a large number of children received Vitamin A and deworming tablets yesterday. Those who missed it are being administered the supplements today. Additionally, children will be screened for malnutrition and also provided with micronutrient powders (balvita).

Under the National Vitamin A Program, the Ministry of Health and Population is distributing Vitamin A to children this coming Saturday and Sunday. The government has been providing free Vitamin A and deworming tablets to children every year in the months of Kartik (October/November) and Baisakh (April/May).

On the same days, approximately 1.9 million children aged between one to five years will be given deworming tablets and micronutrient powders (balvita), along with malnutrition screening.

Around 52,000 female community health volunteers and 15,000 health workers are being mobilized for this campaign. The National Vitamin A Program was launched in 1993 (2050 B.S.) in eight districts to prevent and treat Vitamin A deficiency and has been implemented nationwide since 2002 (2059 B.S.).

The deworming program began in 1999 (2056 B.S.) in 13 districts and was expanded to all districts by 2010 (2067 B.S.). Similarly, the distribution of balvita (micronutrient powder) began in 2007 (2064 B.S.)