Kathmandu, November 2

Taking it as a challenge to bring down the number of malnourished children, the Ministry of Health and Population is launching a campaign to identify children with severe acute malnutrition, and administer Vitamin A capsules and deworming tablets to children in 14 districts worst hit by the recent earthquakes.

MoHP is administering Vitamin A capsules and deworming tablets to children between the age of six months and five years throughout the country today and tomorrow.

Giri Raj Subedi, chief of the Nutrition Section, Child Health Division under the Department of Health Services said that Vitamin A capsules and deworming tablets will be administered to children between six months and five years across the country.

Earlier, the government had declared 14 districts, including Gorkha, Sindhupalchok, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Dhading, as worst affected by the earthquake after an assessment of the damage to life and property.

Immediately after the quake, MoHP had immunized around 2,500 children below the age of five in the informal settlements in three districts in the Kathmandu Valley. The Department of Health Services has administered MR vaccine against the possibility of outbreak of measles and rubella in May.

Subedi said health volunteers will be measuring the arms of children below five years to identify children with severe acute malnutrition.

According to Subedi, MoHP had found severe acute malnutrition in 1,500 children earlier.

“We have established outpatient treatment centres in health posts in 14 districts worst affected by the earthquake. After identification of children with severe acute malnutrition, they will be referred to OTPs for therapeutic treatment,” he added.

He further said that Vitamin A capsule and deworming tablets are administered twice a year.

Every year, Nepal government administers Vitamin A capsule and deworming tablets on Baishak 5 and 6 (April 18 and 19) and Kartik 2 and 3 (October 19 and 20). But since major Nepali festivals were under way, MoHP had decided to reschedule the program for today and tomorrow.

The government has a target of administering Vitamin A capsule to 3.2 million children between six months and five years of age and deworming tablets to 3.2 million children between one year and five years of age during the campaign.