National child health days
In DPR Korea, "national child health days" are a feasible, cost-effective strategy for reaching almost all children in the country with a package of critical health interventions and is now considered as a possible channel for delivery of a broader package of services and information to children and women. Since 1997, the DPR Korea has organized "national child health days". On each of these days, over 95 percent of all children 6 to 59 months have been reached. Originally organized as polio national immunization days (NIDs), in October and November of each year, they were broadened in 1999 to deliver vitamin A supplements to children from 6 months to 5 years. To ensure that all children receive a minimum of two doses of vitamin A each year, a stand-alone vitamin A day was also organized in May. Since 1999, two "national child health days" have been held each year. On all days, more than 95 percent of children have been reached. Recognizing the success of this approach, the "national child health days" were broadened in 2001 to include treatment of intestinal parasites with single dose mebendazole - for all children between 2 to 5 years. Despite a very low health budget, all operational costs for organizing these "national child health days" are borne by the Government. UNICEF support for social mobilization is now limited to the printing of posters.
The success of these "national child health days" demonstrates that despite the country’s economic problems and a severe decline in quality of the regular health services, the health workforce remains intact, remains committed, and can be fully mobilized by the Ministry of Health to the most peripheral level. On each "national child health days", more than 60,000 health workers and nursery caregivers are mobilized for the benefit of DPR Korea’s children. The success of these days means that DPR Korea is again most likely to achieve the highest two-dose children vitamin A coverage of all countries in the East Asia and pacific region and polio eradication remains firmly on track. DPR Korea has shown the feasibility of adding additional interventions to traditional NIDs and achieving near universal child coverage, at very low cost. It is now probable that no more polio supplementary NIDs will be held. The Ministry of Public Health, realizing the unique opportunity to reach almost all children through this strategy, has confirmed that two child health days will continue to be held each year. High two-dose vitamin A coverage will, therefore, be sustained beyond the polio eradication effort. Furthermore, broadening the impact of these days by including provision of additional services and information, including to mothers, is now being discussed.
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