The 2023 Vitamin A supplementation campaign in Thanh Hoa took place in June, with an expected 400,000 children receiving a 200,000 IU dose of Vitamin A and over 39,000 children receiving a 100,000 IU dose. Additionally, from June 1st to 6th, localities in the province also implemented a campaign to weigh and measure the height of all children under 5 years old living in the area to assess the rates of underweight, stunting, and wasting malnutrition, as well as the rates of overweight and obesity.
Health workers at Tho Hai commune health station (Tho Xuan district) administer Vitamin A to children.
Early in the morning, Ms. Le Thi Nga from Tho Hai commune (Tho Xuan district) brought her child to the health station to receive a Vitamin A supplement. Ms. Nga shared that, having a young child, she was concerned about supplementing her child's micronutrients. Participating in the campaign, she received advice and understood that Vitamin A is very important for children's development. A deficiency in Vitamin A can cause xerophthalmia, potentially leading to blindness, and other diseases. Therefore, since her child was 6 months old, she has regularly brought her child to the commune's health station in June and December to receive Vitamin A.
In addition to receiving vitamin A supplements, the children were also weighed and measured to assess their nutritional status.
According to a report from the Tho Xuan District Health Center, in the first phase of 2023, the district implemented a campaign to supplement Vitamin A for children aged 6-60 months. The aim was to provide Vitamin A supplementation and enhance public awareness campaigns on preventing malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in children, striving to achieve over 95% coverage of Vitamin A supplementation and weight checks for children aged 6-60 months, while ensuring the campaign was effective and followed professional and technical standards.
Ms. Tran Thi Lam, Director of Tho Xuan District Health Center, said: To effectively implement the campaign, the health center and health stations in communes and towns have proactively developed activity plans for supplementing Vitamin A for children aged 6-60 months, integrating activities such as weighing, measuring, assessing, statistically reporting on the nutritional status of children under 5 years old throughout the district. They have also strengthened propaganda activities to raise awareness among local government leaders and organizations about the necessity of supplementing Vitamin A and micronutrients for children aged 6-60 months and mothers within one month after childbirth; promoted communication activities through mass media on preventing and combating micronutrient deficiencies in children and mothers to households; and coordinated the implementation of nutrition for children, such as organizing balanced and hygienically safe meals. At each Vitamin A distribution point, members of the People's Health Care and Protection Steering Committee of the communes and towns, and officials from the district health center are present to directly supervise and monitor the campaign.
Children are given Vitamin A at Truong Giang Commune Health Station (Nong Cong District).
It is understood that, in implementing the Vitamin A supplementation campaign and in response to Micronutrient Day 2023, the Provincial Center for Disease Control - the unit in charge of coordinating the implementation of the Vitamin A supplementation campaign and activities in response to Micronutrient Day; and the Health Centers of districts, towns, and cities have developed plans to administer Vitamin A supplements to children. Simultaneously, training has been provided to health workers and collaborators directly involved in the campaign on the techniques and procedures for administering Vitamin A supplements to children, the arrangement of equipment and tools, the techniques for administering the supplements, dosage according to the Ministry of Health's protocol, and statistical reporting. Preparations include creating spacious, well-ventilated, clean, and hygienic administration points, arranging equipment and tools in a one-way flow, providing sufficient seating in sheltered areas, and ensuring adequate staffing at reception desks for child classification, administering high-dose Vitamin A, monitoring, counseling, and recording children who have received Vitamin A.
According to the plan, the first phase of the 2023 Vitamin A supplementation campaign in Muong Lat district will provide deworming medication to 3,540 children aged 24-60 months; and Vitamin A supplements to 4,400 children aged 6-60 months, along with weight and height measurements to assess malnutrition rates.
According to Deputy Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, Do Thanh Tung, the Micronutrient Day communication campaign aims to raise awareness, change behavior, and create interest among all levels, sectors, and the entire population regarding micronutrients. The Center closely collaborates with relevant agencies, departments, and organizations in educating, disseminating information, and mobilizing families, communities, and society to raise awareness of the role and importance of micronutrients; promoting growth and physical development; and enhancing immunity in children. Units organize the dissemination of Micronutrient Day messages through diverse methods suitable for their localities and target groups, especially vulnerable groups such as children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. Strengthen communication activities through diverse and varied forms to improve people's knowledge and practical skills regarding: the diverse use, selection, and consumption of micronutrient-fortified foods; the combination of different foods in daily meals; and prioritizing the selection of micronutrient-rich foods readily available locally.
Communication message for Micronutrient Day (In response to Micronutrient Day 2023): Micronutrients are essential for growth, physical development, stature, and intelligence, as well as improving health and immunity. Please take your child to receive Vitamin A supplements as directed. To prevent and combat micronutrient deficiencies, everyone and every family should take the following steps: 1. Daily meals should be diverse and include a variety of foods; choose and use foods fortified with micronutrients. 2. Start breastfeeding within the first hour after birth. Breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months; continue breastfeeding until 24 months of age or longer. 3. Use locally available foods rich in micronutrients for your child's daily supplementary meals; add fat or cooking oil to enhance the absorption of Vitamin A and Vitamin D. 4. Children aged 24 to 60 months should take deworming medication twice a year. Practice good food hygiene, personal hygiene, and environmental hygiene to prevent worm infections. 5. Women of childbearing age and pregnant women should take iron/folic acid tablets or multivitamin tablets as directed. |
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