PESHAWAR, Aug 25: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman has said it is necessary to take care of mental, spiritual and physical health of children because healthy children make a healthy nation.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of vitamin A supplementation in Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday under the auspices of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Maulana Rahman said: “We should not ignore our duties to give healthy food to our children, properly immunise them and give them vitamin A drops after every six months.”

He said the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government in the province was trying its best to give standard health and education facilities to people.

He said people should contribute to every campaign launched for development of children.

A paediatrician said: “Vitamin A deficiency leads to blindness, diarrhoea, pneumonia and measles in children. It causes reduction in secretion of respiratory tract. Presently 140 million children are suffering from vitamin A deficiency in the world and half of these children die every year due to acute diseases.”

Unicef consultant Dr Wali Mohammad said the campaign was being launched in Upper Dir, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad and Khyber Agency and it would continue till Sept 20. He said lady health workers and vaccinators would administer vitamin A drops to children during the campaign. “Inaccessible areas will be covered during the child health week by volunteers,” he said.