Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T15:36:50.893Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Vitamin A deficiency and child mortality in Mozambique

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Victor M Aguayo ,
Sonia Kahn ,
Carina Ismael  and
Stephan Meershoek
Victor M Aguayo*
Affiliation:
UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa, BP 29720, Dakar-Yoff, Senegal
Sonia Kahn
Affiliation:
Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
Carina Ismael
Affiliation:
Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique
Stephan Meershoek
Affiliation:
Helen Keller International, Maputo, Mozambique
*
*Corresponding author: Email vaguayo@unicef.org
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Background

In areas where vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is prevalent, vitamin A repletion reduces child mortality by 23% on average.

Objectives

To estimate the potential child survival benefits of policies and programmes aimed at controlling VAD in Mozambique, and to make policy and programme recommendations.

Methods

The potential contribution of VAD to child mortality in Mozambique was estimated by combining the observed VAD prevalence in the under-5s (71.2%), the measured child mortality effects of VAD (risk of death in children with VAD = 1.75 times higher than in children without VAD) and the observed under-5 mortality rate in the country (210 per 1000 live births).

Results

In Mozambique, an estimated 2.3 million children below the age of 5 years are vitamin-A-deficient. In the absence of appropriate policy and programme action, VAD will be the attributable cause of over 30 000 deaths annually in the under-5s. This represents 34.8% of all-cause mortality in this age group.

Discussion

Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) has been adopted as a short- to medium-term strategy to control VAD in children, and is integrated into routine child health services. However, the last VAS coverage survey showed that only 46% of children received a vitamin A supplement in the 6 months preceding the survey. If VAS coverage is to increase significantly in the foreseeable future, four areas appear to be of paramount importance: (1) reduce missed opportunities for VAS such as visits of sick children to child health services and community outreach activities; (2) take advantage of all potential opportunities for accelerating VAS coverage, such as additional vaccination campaigns and emergency response activities; (3) strengthen health workers’ training, supervision and monitoring skills; and (4) increase community demand for VAS of children. Biannual VAS, as the primary component of an integrated strategy for VAD control in children, has the promise to be among the most cost-effective/high-impact child survival interventions in Mozambique.

Keywords

Vitamin A deficiencyVitamin A supplementationChild mortalityMozambique
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 2005 , pp. 29 - 31
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2005

References

1Beaton, GH, Martorell, R, Aronson, KJ, Edmonston, B, McCabe, G, Ross, AC, et al. Effectiveness of Vitamin A Supplementation in the Control of Young Child Morbidity and Mortality in Developing Countries. United Nations (UN) Administrative Committee on Coordination, Sub-committee on Nutrition State-of-the-Art Series: Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No. 13 Geneva: UN, 1993.Google Scholar
2Ismael, C, Khan, SG, Thompson, R, Meershoek, S, Van Streirteghem, V. Inquérito nacional sobre a deficiência de vitamina A e prevalência de anemia e malária em crianças dos 6–59 meses e respectivas mães. Maputo: MISAU – Repartição de Nutrição e Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Helen Keller International and United Nations Children's Fund, 2003.Google Scholar
3Ross, JS. Derivation of the Relative Risk of Child Mortality due to Vitamin A Deficiency. PROFILES Working Notes Series No. 2 Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development, 1996.Google Scholar
4Da Costa Gaspar, M, Cossa, HA, Ribeiro dos Santos, C, Manjate, RM, Shoemaker, J. Moçambique, Inquérito Demográfico e de Saúde 1997. Maputo/Calverton, MD: Instituto Nacional de Estatística de Maputo/Macro International Inc., 1998.Google Scholar
5 United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). The State of the World's Children 2002. New York: UNICEF, 2002.Google Scholar
6Ross, JS, Harvey, PWJ. Contribution of breastfeeding to vitamin A nutrition of infants: a simulation model. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2003; 81(2): 80–6.Google ScholarPubMed
7 World Heath Organization (WHO) Community-based Strategies for Breastfeeding Promotion and Support in Developing Countries. Geneva: WHO, 2003.Google Scholar
8Roy, SK, Islam, A, Molla, A, Akramuzzaman, SM, Jahan, F, Fuchs, G. Impact of a single megadose of vitamin A at delivery on breastmilk of mothers and morbidity of their infants. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1997; 51: 302–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Ruel, MT. Can Food-Based Strategies Help Reduce Vitamin A and Iron Deficiencies? A Review of Recent Evidence. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute, 2001.Google Scholar