The presentation provides information about current vitamin A programs in Nepal.

1. Vitamin A deficiency
Programs
Govinda Rokka
MMIHS,TU

2. • Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause of preventable
blindness in children and increases the risk of disease and death from
severe infections.
• It may result in
i)Night blindness
ii)Xerophthalmia
iii)Keratomalacia
iv)Bitots Spot

3. Epidemiology
VAD is estimated to affect about one-third of children under the age of five
around the world, with the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa (48 per cent)
and South Asia (44 per cent).
Around 250,000–500,000 children in developing countries become blind
each year owing to VAD, with the highest prevalence in Southeast Asia and
Africa
Globally, 65% of all children aged 6 to 59 months received two doses of
vitamin A in 2013, fully protecting them against VAD (80% in the least
developed countries)

4. • Most vitamin A-deficient children live in South-East Asia where 91.5
million preschool children had serum retinol concentrations <0.70
μmol/L, i.e. <20 μg/dL. Moreover, night blindness in preschool
children was the highest in South-East Asia (82.4%) compared to very
low in Europe (1%) and almost nil (0%) in America.
• Each year vitamin A deficiency (VAD) claims the lives of almost
670,000 children under five in the world and precipitates the deaths
of approximately 6,900 children in Nepal

5. Coverage of Vitamin A
• In Children
86% of children age 6-59 months received a vitamin A capsule, and
76% of children age 12-59 months received deworming medication
(NDHS 2016)
• In Mothers
51% of postpartum mothers received vitamin A supplementation
(Annual report 2072/73)

7. • Bi-annual distribution of vitamin A capsule to children between (6-59)
months through FCHVs.
• Post-partum vitamin A supplementation to mothers within 42 days of
delivery .
• Strengthen implementation of vitamin A treatment protocol for
severe malnutrition, persistent diarrhoe,measles and xeropthalmia
• Nutrition education to promote dietary diversification and
consumption of vitamin A rich foods

8. • Ensuring the availability of vitamin A capsules in health facility
• Advocate for increased home production, consumption and
preservation of vitamin A rich foods.
• Promote the consumption of vitamin A rich foods and balanced diet
through nutrition education.

9. References
• http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/
• https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2015/276469/
• http://www.who.int/vmnis/indicators/retinol.pdf
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905635/
• NDHS 2016
• Annual Report 2072/73