Prime Minister Hasina administering an oral drop of vitamin to a child at her official residence in Dhaka yesterday. Also seen is Health Minister Haq

By Mizan Rahman
Dhaka
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday formally inaugurated the 20th National Immunisation Day (NID) being observed to sustain the country’s polio-free status by providing vaccines to 24mn children.
In the first round yesterday, children aged 0 to five years were given polio vaccine while vitamin A capsule given to the children aged one to five years. The second round of NID will be observed on February 11.
Hasina inaugurated the first round of NID at her Gonobhaban residence yesterday morning.
Speaking on the occasion, Hasina requested the guardians and public representatives to ensure that no children under five remain out of polio vaccination programme.
She said that during the 1996-2001 term of her government, the country was freed from polio through conducting continuous polio vaccination campaigns; but in the absence of appropriate campaign some cases of polio disease were detected later.
The prime minister said this time her government is again conducting the vaccination programme to feed vitamin A capsule and polio vaccine to all under five children while children from 24 month to 59 months will be given anti-worm tablets also.
Health and Family Welfare Minister A F M Ruhul Haq, adviser to the PM Dr Syed Modasser Ali and State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mojibur Rahman Fakir also spoke at the function.
According to official data, around 700,000 field workers and volunteers administered the polio vaccine and vitamin A capsule at 140,000 camps and some 20,000 mobile sites like bus, launch terminals and railway stations throughout the country.
A four-day door-to-door search was also conducted by mobile teams in order to ensure that no child is left out.