Vitamin A Supplementation
En Français- The leading cause of childhood blindness is vitamin A deficiency. Every year, it is estimated that 670,000 children will die of vitamin A deficiency, and 350,000 children will go blind.
- Vitamin A supplementation is considered to be the most cost effective, high-priority public health treatment in the world, costing just $1.00 per child per year.
- Twice-yearly treatments of vitamin A can prevent blindness in children and save their lives; last year, HKI delivered over 85 million vitamin A capsules to children.
- Helen Keller International is a leader in designing, implementing, and monitoring programs that ensure annual delivery of vitamin A to vulnerable populations worldwide, preventing blindness and reducing malnutrition. These programs save the sight and lives of thousands of people every year.
For more information on Vitamin A, see Reducing Malnutrition/Vitamin A Supplementation.
- Program Locations
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Guinea
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Philippines
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Tanzania
- Zimbabwe
- Recent News
- Saving Lives with Vitamin A
- World Sight Day: A See Change
- "An African Adventure, and a Revelation"
- more...
- Key Publications
- New World Health Organization guidelines and Home Fortification Technical Advisory Group program guidance on the use of multiple micronutrient powders for home fortification of foods for pregnant women and young children.
- (NNA December_2011) Plasma retinol-binding protein predicts plasma retinol concentration in both infected and uninfected Cameroonian women and children.
- (NNA September_2011) New World Health Organization guidelines concerning vitamin A supplementation for women and young children.
- more...
