2.4 cr children to be vaccinated against polio

Also, the national vitamin 'A' plus campaign this year will also be held the same day under the same arrangements. The campaign was observed separately during the last three years.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday briefed newsmen about various measures taken ahead of the NID programme and vitamin A campaign and sought assistance of the media for familiarising the people with the twin programmes.

"On the day, two drops of polio vaccine will be administered to children aged up to 5 years, vitamin A plus tablet to children aged 1 to 5 years and de-worming tablets to those between 2 and 5 years," he said.

Besides, mothers of children aged up to six weeks would also be given vitamin A tablet from the vaccination centres, the minister said.

The first round of 13th NID was observed on April 16 and the second round on May 13.

"Our achievement rate was 96 percent in the first round and 97 percent in the second round. We are expecting 100 percent success in this round," Dr Mosharraf said.

Asked about the success of the recent countrywide campaign against measles, he said: "We achieved 99 percent success in the campaign, now regarded as the world's biggest anti-measles campaign."

Replying to a query on nutrition situation in the country, Unicef's Nutrition Department chief U Hah said that at present, there is no vitamin A deficiency in Bangladesh.

"And the country's 70 percent people suffered malnutrition on the weight in 1990s, which is now 48 percent," she added.