09 Sep 2008

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System


With vitamin A supplementation, death from measles can be reduced by 50 percent, death from diarrhoea can be reduced by 40 percent and overall mortality can be reduced by 25 percent, writes Gabi Khumalo.

According to the National Food Consumption Survey conducted in 2005 among children aged one to nine years, vitamins and mineral deficiencies still exist in parts of our country.

The Department of Health's statistics show that only 25 percent of children aged one to five years are receiving their vitamin A dose routinely in clinics since the inception of a vitamin A supplementation programme in 2002.

The programme's initiation was one of the department's strategies to improve child health to combat vitamin A deficiency in children six to 59 months (5 years) of age and postpartum women who utilize public health facilities.

Themed 'Vitamin A saves Lives', this year's vitamin A campaign was launched on Monday by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang at Vosloorus on the East Rand.

The aim of the campaign to be run from 8 to 20 September is to create awareness about the importance of vitamin A and the need to take children to the nearest clinic for their vitamin A dose every six months until the age of 5 years.

The body cannot produce vitamin A and has to get it from food or vitamin A capsules.

Vitamin A deficiency is the most common cause of child blindness and the body needs vitamin A to produce the pigment that helps people see in the dark.

Deficiencies can be caused by not eating enough foods rich in vitamin A including liver, carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes and spinach.

Children with who don't get enough of the vitamin suffer more severe cases of measles and diarrhoea and are more likely to die from illnesses but supplementation aids faster recovery.

During the campaign, parents and caregivers are encouraged to take children aged between one and five to public health facilities for vitamin A drops. Parents should bring the child's road to health chart when bringing their children for the supplement.

The campaign is targeting four million children throughout the country, which translates 80 percent of children between the ages utilising 15 000 sites including clinics, crSches, mobile clinics and shopping malls for immunisation.

Speaking at campaign launch, Ms Tshabalala-Msimang said immunisation coverage is currently 84 percent, acknowledging that while this is very impressive, we should do better.

She said that vitamins and mineral deficiencies continue to represent challenges particularly in rural and other underserved areas.

"By improving the vitamin A status of children we are increasing their chances of survival significantly," she said.

The minister noted that while there is an excellent coverage of vitamin A supplementation for children between ages of six and 12 months of age, the challenge is with the 13 to 60 months olds, where there is a need for improvement as they have a high risk of suffering from vitamin A deficiency.

"Coverage for six and 12 months of age is 100 percent and coverage for post-partum mothers is encouraging at 60 percent, our challenge is the 13 to 60 months olds, for this group, coverage is 25 percent," Ms Tshabalala-Msimang said.

The minister encouraged everyone to ensure that we eat healthily. She recommended maize meal that is fortified with vitamins. White and brown bread flour also have vitamin A.

She also encouraged people to promote healthy eating to children from an early age and ensure that children become more physically active.

"We all need to work together to promote the health of our children," she said.

The minister further encouraged the assistance of vulnerable families to establish food gardens or become members of communes and co-operatives.

"Government continues to promote and support the establishment of community and school vegetable gardens in order to increase consumption of nutrient rich food," she said.

Source: BuaNews