GtG: Micronutrient Supplements: Vitamin A and Zinc Solution
The Solution
Deficiencies in both vitamin A and zinc can be remedied with supplements.
Good progress has been made tackling vitamin A deficiency among children. Approximately 70% of children aged under-five in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are covered with two preventative, protective doses of vitamin A every year.
Despite this progress, this life-saving initiative needs to be extended until there is universal coverage. The millions of children who are still not reached are often the poorest and most vulnerable. Moreover, coverage varies a lot in many countries: during one half-year there may be high levels of supplementation, while in the next half-year, there may be none. And there are not enough successful programs designed to supply vitamin A to breastfeeding mothers. Programs only exist in two-thirds of high-risk countries, and most are limited in scope.
There is another challenge associated with extending vitamin A coverage. Since the 1990s, vitamin A supplements have been delivered with polio vaccinations on National Immunization Days in many countries. However, as the polio immunization days are phased out because of the success of that program, many nations face the challenge of maintaining the necessary high coverage of vitamin A twice a year.
Zinc supplements are effective in treating bad cases of diarrhea in malnourished children but their provision has not yet been widely adopted. Studies from India, Africa, South America and Southeast Asia show that children suffering from diarrhea get better faster after taking zinc supplements.