Kathmandu Apr. 15: Vitamin ‘A’ capsules will be given to children from six month old to five years on April 18 and 19 under the national Vitamin ‘A’ programme launched by the Ministry of Health in 64 districts of the Kingdom of Nepal.

Under the national Vitamin ‘A’ programme, about 2,780,000 children will be administered Vitamin ‘A’ capsules by about 35,000 women health health volunteers at the ward level.

The National Vitamin ‘A’ programme is being launched by the Health Ministry since 1993 in accordance with the call made by the world health summit conference held in 1990 with the objective of reducing child mortality rate, checking eye related diseases caused by Vitamin ‘A’ deficiency and cultivating the habit of eating Vitamin ‘A’ balanced diet.

Vitamin ‘A’ capsules are admninistered to children twice a year in the months of Baishak and Kartik. The National Vitamin ‘A’ Programme is targetted to be implemented in all 75 districts by 2001.

USAID unicef have been assisting in implementing the national vitamin ‘A’ programme since 1993 while Australian-aid has been providing assistance to the programme since last year.