Vitamin ‘A’ to be administered to 2.2 million children across the country on Saturday and Sunday.

Kathmandu – On the upcoming Saturday and Sunday, around 2.2 million children across Nepal will be given Vitamin A supplements under the National Vitamin A Program, organized by the Ministry of Health and Population.

According to the Department of Health Services, Vitamin A capsules will be administered to children aged six months to 59 months (just under five years) as part of this national initiative.

On the same days, around 1.9 million children aged one to five years will also receive deworming medicine. In addition, children will be given child-friendly multivitamin supplements, and screenings for malnutrition will be carried out.

To implement this program, approximately 52,000 female community health volunteers and 15,000 health workers will be mobilized across the country.

The National Vitamin A Program was first launched in 1993 (2050 B.S.) in eight districts to prevent and treat Vitamin A deficiency and was expanded nationwide by 2002 (2059 B.S.). Similarly, the deworming program began in 1999 (2056 B.S.) in 13 districts and was implemented nationwide by 2010 (2067 B.S.). Multivitamin distribution for children began in 2007 (2064 B.S.).

Each year, the government provides Vitamin A and deworming medication free of cost to children during the months of Kartik (October/November) and Baisakh (April/May) as part of this ongoing public health initiative.