Vitamin A supplementation.

data, information and materials were contributed by Alison Greig (who compiled the raw data on vitamin A supplementation coverage for The State of the World's Children), Nyein Nyein Lwin (who calculated the regional and global vitamin A coverage for The State of the World's Children), Amanda Palmer (who assembled the programme data and database, and drafted the report) and Josephine Rajasegera (who compiled the raw data on supplies, procurement and other relevant programme information from UNICEF supply orders). Additional inputs were provided by Xiaodong Cai. SOWC The State of the World's Children report, published annually by UNICEF U5MR under-five mortality rate UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund WHO World Health Organization iv VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTATION Foreword A ll children have the right to adequate nutrition for a healthy life. Unfortunately, this fundamental right is often overlooked because the consequences of poor nutrition may not be immediately apparent. Vitamin A deficiency is one example of such hidden hunger. Although they may not always display visible signs, approximately 127 million preschool children worldwide are affected by underlying deficiency in vitamin A, putting them at greater risk of illness and death. It is inexcusable that vitamin A deficiency is still contributing to the loss of children's lives. Effective and inexpensive means to fight this hidden hunger have existed for years, and the international community has made multiple commitments to its elimination. Just two annual doses of high-potency supplements, costing less than US $0.04 per child, can prevent and correct the deficiency. However, it is critical that vitamin A is viewed not just in terms of eliminating its deficiency but in the larger context of child survival. Achieving and maintaining high coverage of vitamin A supplementation is crucial to attaining Millennium Development Goal 4: reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five by 2015. UNICEF plays a lead role in the effort to reach all children between the ages of 6 months and 59 months with life-saving supplements every 4–6 months. This includes providing technical assistance to countries, monitoring intervention coverage at the national and global scale and supplying nearly 100 per cent of supplements to countries through an in-kind donation from the Government of Canada and The Micronutrient Initiative. This report tracks the progress of vitamin A supplementation programming following 10 years of global advocacy. It provides the most comprehensive review of efforts to date, including trends in coverage and innovations …