Thanh Hoa launches Vitamin A supplementation campaign and responds to Micronutrient Day 2023

The 2023 Vitamin A supplementation campaign in Thanh Hoa will take place in June, with an estimated 400,000 children receiving 200,000 IU of Vitamin A supplementation and 39,000 children receiving 100,000 IU of Vitamin A supplementation. In addition, from June 1, localities in the province will also launch a campaign to weigh and measure height to assess the rate of malnutrition in the form of underweight, stunting, wasting and the rate of overweight and obesity for all children under 5 years old living in the area.

Staff of Tho Hai Commune Health Station (Tho Xuan) give children Vitamin A.

Early in the morning, Ms. Le Thi Nga, Tho Hai commune (Tho Xuan) took her child to the health station to get Vitamin A supplements. Ms. Nga shared that because she has a small child, she is also interested in learning about micronutrient supplements for her child. Participating in the campaign, she was consulted and understood that Vitamin A is very important for children's development. If there is a lack of Vitamin A, it will cause dry cornea, which can lead to blindness and some other diseases, so since her child was 6 months old, she has taken her child to the commune health station to get Vitamin A supplements every June and December.

In addition to receiving Vitamin A supplements, children are also weighed and measured to assess their malnutrition status.

According to the report of Tho Xuan District Medical Center, in the first phase of 2023, the district will implement a campaign to supplement Vitamin A for children aged 6-60 months to supplement Vitamins for children and strengthen communication to raise people's awareness of preventing malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in children, striving to achieve over 95% of children aged 6-60 months receiving Vitamin A supplements and weighing children; ensuring the campaign is effective, professional and technically correct.

Ms. Tran Thi Lam, Director of Tho Xuan District Health Center, said: To effectively implement the campaign, the Health Center and Health Stations of communes and towns have proactively developed a plan for Vitamin A supplementation for children aged 6-60 months, integrating activities of weighing, evaluating, collecting statistics, and reporting on the nutritional status of children under 5 years old in the entire district. Strengthening propaganda activities, raising awareness among local government leaders and mass organizations about the necessity of supplementing Vitamin A and micronutrients for children aged 6-60 months and postpartum mothers within one month; promoting communication activities on mass media on preventing and combating micronutrient deficiencies in children and mothers to households; coordinating the implementation of nutrition for children such as organizing reasonable nutritious meals and ensuring food hygiene and safety. At each Vitamin A drinking point, there are members of the Steering Committee for Health Care and Protection of People in communes and towns and officers directing the District Health Center to directly direct and supervise the campaign.

Giving children Vitamin A at Truong Giang Commune Health Station (Nong Cong).

It is known that, implementing the Vitamin A supplementation campaign and responding to Micronutrient Day 2023, the Provincial Center for Disease Control - the standing unit coordinating the implementation of the Vitamin A supplementation campaign and activities responding to Micronutrient Day; Medical Centers of districts, towns and cities develop plans to implement vitamin A supplementation for children. At the same time, training for medical staff and collaborators directly participating in the campaign on techniques and procedures for giving children Vitamin A supplements, how to arrange equipment and tools, techniques for giving children, dosage according to the Ministry of Health's regimen, statistics and reports... Prepare spacious, airy, clean drinking points, arranged according to a one-way process; arrange enough waiting chairs in covered areas; prepare enough staff to serve at reception desks, classify subjects, give children high doses of Vitamin A, monitor, advise, and record children who have taken Vitamin A...

According to the plan, the first phase of the Vitamin A supplementation campaign in 2023, in Muong Lat district, 3,540 children aged 24-60 months will take deworming medicine; 4,400 children aged 6-60 months will take Vitamin A and be weighed and measured to assess the rate of malnutrition.

Deputy Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control Do Thanh Tung said that the communication campaign for Micronutrient Day aims to raise awareness, change behavior, and create interest among all levels, sectors, and the entire population about micronutrients. The Center closely coordinates with relevant agencies, departments, sectors, and organizations in educating, propagating, and mobilizing families, communities, and society to raise awareness about the role and importance of micronutrients; growth and physical development, and improving children's resistance. Units organize to propagate the messages of Micronutrient Day in various forms, suitable to the locality and target groups, especially vulnerable groups such as children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. Strengthen communication activities in many forms, diverse and rich to improve knowledge and practical skills for people on: Using a variety of, selecting and using foods fortified with micronutrients, combining foods for daily meals; prioritizing the selection of foods rich in micronutrients available locally.

Micronutrient Day Communication Message Responding to Micronutrient Day 2023):

Micronutrients are essential for growth, physical development, height and intelligence, improving health and resistance of the body. Take children of the right age to take Vitamin A according to instructions.

To prevent and combat micronutrient deficiencies, everyone and every family should:

1. Daily meals need to be varied and combine many types of food; choose and use foods fortified with micronutrients.

2. Breastfeed your baby within the first hour after birth. Breastfeed your baby exclusively for the first 6 months; continue breastfeeding until 24 months of age or beyond.

3. Use locally available micronutrient-rich foods for your child's daily supplementary meals; add fat or cooking oil to enhance the absorption of Vitamin A and Vitamin D.

4. Children from 24 to 60 months old take deworming medicine twice a year. Practice good eating, personal hygiene, and environmental hygiene to prevent worm infection.

5. Women of childbearing age and pregnant women should take iron/folic acid tablets or multivitamin tablets as directed.

To Ha

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/y-te-suc-khoe/thanh-hoa-trien-khai-chien-dich-bo-sung-vitamin-a-va-huong-ung-ngay-vi-chat-dinh-duong-nam-2023/187475.htm