Night blindness below 1.0pc in country, says Zahid

Health and Family Planning Minister Zahid Maleque said Saturday night blindness rate is below 1.0 per cent in the country due to regular administering of Vitamin A-plus capsules, reports BSS.

"We want to prevent childhood blindness by administering Vitamin A-plus capsules. Blindness has been reduced significantly. Now the rate of night blindness is below than 1.0 per cent," he said.

He was speaking while inaugurating Vitamin A-plus campaign at Dhaka Shishu Hospital in the city.

The rate of night blindness was 3.76 per cent in 1974 when this campaign was launched, said the minister. He said a child who ingests the capsule will be safe from night-blindness, their immune system would be boosted, eyesight would be perfect and natural growth would be ensured.

Vitamin-A plus campaign has been observed across the country, with an aim to feed children, aged between six months and five years, the capsules.

Health workers and volunteers fed the capsules to around 21.0 million (2.1 crore) children at 120,000 permanent and 20,000 makeshift centres from 08:00 am to 04:00 pm.

Some 2.5 million children aged between six and 12 months were given one blue coloured capsule, while around 19.5 million children aged between one and five years were given red coloured capsule each.