Nov 06, Kathmandu - Nepal launched a nationwide campaign on Thursday and Friday to administer Vitamin A capsules and deworming medication to young children, under the slogan "Give Vitamin A, Reduce Child Mortality." The initiative, part of the National Vitamin A Program, is being implemented nationwide to enhance child health and survival.

Under the program, children aged 6 months to 5 years are being given Vitamin A capsules and deworming tablets. Sangeeta Mishra, the head of the Local Health Post in Ward No. 15 of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, urged all parents and guardians to ensure their children receive the supplements on the designated days. "Please do not miss the scheduled days to give Vitamin A to your children. Along with Vitamin A, we are also providing deworming medication. Since Vitamin A is only available during this campaign, I request everyone to take advantage of this opportunity," Mishra said.

Nepal conducts this program twice annually, typically in Kartik (October-November) and Baisakh (April-May). However, due to the recent Tihar festival, this year's campaign was rescheduled to October 20 and 21, instead of the original dates of October 2 and 3.

The government aims to reach 2.8 million children under five with Vitamin A and approximately 3 million children with deworming medication. To implement this campaign, around 52,000 female health volunteers and 15,000 health workers have been mobilized, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.