A good number of children remain out of vitamin A capsule campaign primarily due to lack of sufficient publicity by the authority and other social and infrastructural barriers, an official survey said Sunday.
More than 1.6 million children are still out of coverage of vitamin A campaign as the national average coverage of the last year campaign was 92 per cent where 21.1 million children were supplemented vitamin A capsule.
Of the total missing children, around 0.8 million cannot receive vitamin A as 52.5 per cent parents do not know about the campaign. The rate is higher in the rural area which is 53.2 per cent and lower in urban area 48.3 per cent.
These were revealed at a Training of Trainers (TOT) for journalist advocacy on National Vitamin A plus campaign at the city's IPHN conference room. Health reporters of different media participated in the training.
The survey conducted on the last campaign found more than 6.0 per cent parents said they were busy during the campaign, 4.1 per cent said they were travelling, 1.6 per cent said child was sick, 2.5 per cent children never received vitamin A, 2.0 per cent no vaccinator, 2.9 per cent said the centre was too far, 17.5 per cent said they were not at home, and for other reasons 8.2 per cent.
The survey found the coverage was low in the city corporation areas for restriction from the residents, Sylhet and Comilla areas for cultural barriers and hard-to-reach areas due to communication problem.
The national Vitamin 'A' plus campaign will be observed across the country on April 5 to prevent childhood blindness, reducing child mortality and strengthening immunity.
A total of 22.0 million children will be given vitamin A capsule at 0.14 million centres by 42,000 volunteers.
Vitamin 'A' plus supplement is helpful for reducing the severity and duration of illnesses associated with pneumonia and diarrhoea.
According to the WHO guideline, children should begin vitamin 'A' supplement at the age of six months.
Children aged six months to 11 months will be given blue-coloured capsule of high powered Vitamin A and children aged one year to five will be given red-coloured capsule of high-powered Vitamin A, he added.
