In the DPRK, "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 DPRK has organized "national child health
days". On each of these days, over 95 percent of all children
six 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 day", more than 60,000 health workers and nursery
caregivers are mobilized for the benefit of the DPRK’s
children.

The success of these days means that the DPRK is again most
likely to achieve the highest two-dose children vitamin A
coverage of all countries in the EAPRO region and polio
eradication remains firmly on track.

The DPRK 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, and broadening the impact of these days
by including provision of additional services and
information, including to mothers, is now being discussed.