Staff Correspondent

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardaer Md. Sakhawat Hossain Bokul on Sunday ssid, there is no greater vitamin for building a child's immunity than a mother's colostrum (first milk).

He urged mothers to ensure their newborns are fed colostrum immediately after birth alongside receiving the Vitamin 'A' supplement.

The Health Minister made these remarks while interacting with journalists after formally inaugurating the National Vitamin 'A' Plus Campaign on Sunday morning at the Shahid Abu Sayeed Convention Hall of Bangladesh Medical University in the capital. The day-long campaign aims to administer Vitamin 'A' capsules to children aged between 6 and 59 months to boost their immune systems and effectively prevent various diseases, including measles.

Minister Sakhawat Hossain informed that the government has procured 2.6 crore red and blue-colored Vitamin 'A' capsules through UNICEF, out of which 2.55 crore capsules have already been dispatched across the country to hit the target of feeding 2.4 crore children. Responding to queries regarding the quality of the supplements, the minister assured that the capsules are of premium quality, tested in international laboratories, and the standard was thoroughly discussed with UNICEF during a recent conference in Europe. He added that any child missed on the primary day of the campaign will be given the opportunity to receive the capsule later.

The first round of this year’s campaign was executed simultaneously across the country today from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. To ensure total coverage, the government set up 110,000 fixed outreach centers along with 500 mobile centers at strategic hubs such as launch terminals, ferry ghats, railway stations, and bus stops.

Detailing the administrative transition of the program, officials noted that Vitamin 'A' integration began with the national immunization program in 1995, before launching as an independent campaign in 2003 under the supervision of the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN). From 2011 until March 2025, it was operated under the National Nutrition Services (NNS) operational plan of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Following the recent abolition of the operational plan, the campaign has officially reverted to being a direct activity of the IPHN. The last nationwide drive was conducted roughly 15 months ago on March 15, 2025.

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by Health Services Division Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, Director General of the DGHS Prof Dr. Probhat Chandra Biswas, and Director of the Institute of Public Health Nutrition (IPHN) Dr. Mohammad Yunus Ali, among other high-ranking health officials.